Funeral of a Good Girl
by Winged Seraph
Summary: Saints and Sinners: Part 2. My name is Angela and I work for the LVPD. I'm in love with Nick Stokes and oh yeah, did I mention I'm a serial killer? AU VERSE
1. Episode 2x01

_Chapter One: Keep your friends close…_

The blood coated my fingers and caused my grip on the handle of the steel knife to slip. I raised the tool only to slide it back into the body that lay on my slab. I was there but at the same time I wasn't, my body in one place while my mind was in another. Perhaps that was the way it has always been. Perhaps I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that I was constantly moving in order to find that place.

But I wasn't constantly moving was I?

I paused, the blade frozen in mid-air. I had stopped moving; a shark no longer swimming but somehow not dying. What happened to the person that had thrived inside of me, the sharp-toothed predator that had been unable to function without that perfect, justified kill? It was an oxymoron to be certain but yet one that had explained everything so clearly to me in my head.

It was simple. I had fallen in love again. I had allowed myself to be captured in a net and now I was hovering in one spot, torn between two lives. The killer in me screamed to be set free. I did such horrible things in order to silence the voices, such brutal things in order to justify the loss I had suffered. My brother had been the world to me. What I did gave him peace, it gave me peace and ultimately brought peace to all those involved. No one should have to suffer as I have suffered; no one.

While the killer in me raged on, the other part, the very small one, had somehow grown larger and more demanding for peace. Peace of mind, peace of letting go. I wanted so desperately to let go of everything, to lose myself in my new life but I found it one of the hardest things I had ever faced. Who was I now? Who was I supposed to be if not a killer?

Could I really be the model citizen? The friend? The wife? I directed my attention to the knife in my hand. Could I really be the mother?

All I knew was that if I refused to let go that one day my grip on that rope would eventually slip from my fingers. It would wind itself around my neck and it would destroy me. The destruction would touch everyone in my life, everyone I had allowed myself to grow connected to, and that would result in emotional scars that would never go away.

I had to let go. I had become weak from this internal struggle and it gnawed relentlessly at me as the days continued to pass. How long had it been since I had killed someone in the name of justice? Justice, the simple word made me nauseous. There was no real justice in the world, not even by my hands. If that word held any substance, I wouldn't be needed. I wouldn't feel needed.

I'm doing it again. My mind is in another place while my body stays locked in a position where- I paused again, my grip slipping on the knife handle. What exactly am I doing? Did I even truly know any more?

The knife slipped through my fingers as a bloody hand grabbed my wrist. I looked down at the body to see Clarissa's dead eyes staring back at me. Her grip tightened on my wrist as the knife clattered loudly to the ground.

"You're a killer."

I jumped back to reality the second I opened my eyes to focus on the dark room around me. I was sweating profusely. Beside me, Nick slept peacefully. I let my eyes adjust before I slipped from the sheets.

The cold water in the bathroom did nothing to help calm my nerves but I continued to splash my face with it for several minutes before cutting off the faucet. I looked up to see my tired reflection as I reached for a hand towel. It was the third nightmare that week. I never had nightmares. Dreams were a sign of a restless mind, a way of coping with unresolved issues and that was one thing I simply had no time for in my line of work, legal or otherwise.

Each time Nick had thankfully been asleep and unable to question me as to what my dreams entailed. He just knew that I was having a rough time sleeping lately and whenever it seemed he was going to ask me anything related to my troubles I made sure to avoid the subject. Besides, what would I say? I had dragged him unknowingly into my bed of lies far enough already. I wasn't ready to challenge the bridge I had built connecting my past and the present life involving him. I wasn't ready to lose him.

I cut off the bathroom light and moved back to the bed. Nick turned towards me the very second I lowered myself down next to him. Even in his sleep, he drew me into his arms. I pressed my hand against his chest to feel the steady beating of his heart and closed my eyes.

I wasn't ready.

* * *

It has been exactly one year, three months, and two days since I started to change. At first I was resistant to it and at times I still found myself hesitant to evolve into something more… human. Love was that one element I thought I no longer needed in my life. I knew it came down to being scared, scared of what exactly it would mean to trust someone again, scared of what it truly meant to let go of the past that had haunted me for so long.

Maybe I was ready. How hard could it possibly be? I could fight the urge that lived deep inside of me. I could fight the animal that thrived to kill if it meant finding happiness again. It had been so long since I had truly known joy in simply being with someone else. Was it possible? Could I truly love Nick as he loved me and devote myself to him the way he deserved?

All I knew was that he deserved the world. Nick was the one person in my entire wicked little life I had met that was truly a kind soul. Everything about him was perfect. He was the type of person even the most hardened person would feel a connection to; perhaps that explains what happened to me. I had fought very hard to distance myself from my feelings for him yet here I am.

Without him, I have no reason to exist. I accept that truth now. The desire to kill dwelling inside was nothing compared to what I felt for him. That I didn't need to accept; it was just fact. I could stop for him. I would stop. I have stopped. Haven't I?

"You're burning the toast baby."

I looked over to see smoke coming out of the toaster. "Shit." Cursing I unplugged it from the wall and ejected the burnt toast, frowning as I plopped it onto a plate. "Sorry."

Nick smiled as he fixed his coffee and leaned over to kiss me. "It's okay; I like my toast a little on the crunchy side."

"Shut up." I couldn't stop myself from smiling back at him.

Behind us, the puppy that Detective Dara Waters had found at a crime scene barked in excitement. Fuddles (don't even ask) had grown quite attached to us or, as Nick liked to tease, had grown quite attached to me. The small ball of fur constantly followed me everywhere. He watched me in the doorway of the laundry room while I worked, he tried to sit in my lap every time I sat down somewhere, and he even refused to sleep anywhere else in his dog bed unless it was directly next to my side of the bed. At first it had been annoying. Now, well, now it was just another element in my life I enjoyed.

Nick surprised me by grabbing a piece of toast and biting into it. I laughed at the look that crossed his face right before he swallowed. He chased down the taste with several gulps of coffee. "Is something on your mind baby?"

"No." I lied. "Why do you ask?"

He threw the toast into the trash. "You got up several times last night."

I didn't take offense to the observation. Granted, I was more into actually experiencing my feelings than I had been in the past few years but there were still moments where even around Nick that I felt absolutely nothing but impartial. I knew he noticed even if he said nothing.

"I wasn't feeling too well."

He reached out to cup the side of my face. "You're not coming down with something are you?" He stroked my cheek with his thumb. "I know it's been a busy week at work with staff changes and multiple cases. It's been hard on all us. Maybe you should call in today."

Times in the past I would have snapped at him for saying that. My job was all I had to rely on, the only thing that kept me grounded but keeping that in past tense was important. I had more than just my job now. I had created a real life for myself again and surprise, surprise, I was enjoying it.

"I can't. I have a meeting with Ecklie this morning."

"A meeting, about what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." I concentrated on fixing a cup of coffee in my favorite mug. _Favorite mug, listen to you; it's black with red swirls on it and suddenly it's your favorite mug. _I had grown attached to so many things lately. It was dangerous to do so yet I didn't want to stop.

Nick sipped at his coffee and leaned against the counter. "Maybe you're getting help in the morgue finally."

"I don't need help in the morgue."

"Yes," He chuckled, "You do. You're just too stubborn to admit it."

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue with him on that point. _Looks like someone has been paying attention to the Cliff Notes version of who you are._ "Regardless of what it is, he'll have me buried in work all day today so I'll probably pass on coming home for lunch."

"I'll bring you something."

"Do you ever really stay away?"

"Do you?"

I smiled as he reached out to pull me close. "Why don't you call me and we'll go from there?"

"Deal."

I sat down my coffee and closed my eyes as he dipped his head to kiss me. Relaxing into his taller frame, I was completely satisfied to let him control the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as it deepened. The sparks were still there, the tingles shooting through my entire body at the simple act of his lips touching mine. It felt like the first kiss every single time. I couldn't get over how I felt each time he touched me. He truly made me come to life.

I was smiling as he drew back, those beautiful brown eyes gazing down at me. _I've gone from a cold blooded killer to a hopeless romantic. I love irony. _"What is it?" I stroked the back of his neck where his hair was growing out again.

"I love you."

_You will truly never realize how much I love you Nick. _"I love you." I popped kissed him and stepped back to grab my coffee. "I should go."

He tugged me back towards him and kissed me again. "I'll call you."

"I'll answer."

* * *

The past six months had been a stressful time at the department. Usually I kept to myself and let others deal with their issues but unfortunately their issues were quickly becoming mine as well. Staff quit, new staff had been hired, and there were shift changes as well as adjustments in the department manual that included Ecklie's newly established policy on staff members dating.

It wasn't long after Nick and I had become engaged that Ecklie had taken it upon himself to remind me to stay focused. He couldn't deny anyone in the department the right to date but he could restrict their access with each other. So far my working day shift while Nick worked nights had worked in our favor considering the new policy stated while members of the staff could socialize, any interference in job performance would result in suspension or loss of position. A few days ago I had switched back to night shift and my brain was practically reeling at the possible ways Ecklie could make my life miserable.

_Try it Ecklie. Just give me a reason. _When it came down to it I knew I wouldn't actually kill the man but it was an enjoyable thought, one I liked kicking around in my head when I became bored throughout the day. He looked like a crier, maybe even a bargainer or… yes, definitely a beggar.

Amusing myself I continued down the basement hallway. A light flickered above me and I glared at it before continuing towards the morgue, folders in one hand while I held a cup of coffee in my right. Humming a song that had been playing on the car radio under my breath, I pushed open the morgue door with my backside and entered backwards.

I turned on the heel of my boot and stopped at the sight of a stranger standing by one of my metal slabs where a half covered body was laying. He was tall with broad shoulders, his dark hair shaved close to his head, and he was dressed in a white lab coat on top of a tee shirt and jeans. I stared into his calm, dark brown eyes and for a minute we studied each other.

"You must be Angela."

I took a few more steps forward and slowly lowered my folders onto my desk. "Your assumption would be correct Mr…?"

"Richardson." He stepped around the slab and extended his hand. "Michael Richardson, I'm…"

"Obviously very unfamiliar with morgue protocol. You must be Ecklie's latest staff addition." I sighed and quickly shook his hand. "Next time you wait, understand?"

"Yes ma'am. I apologize."

"Don't apologize, just correct your mistakes and move on. And don't call me ma'am; Angela is just fine." I moved past him and lowered the folder onto the counter beside the main computer. "Who's on the slab?"

"John Doe, white male. I'd say late forties. He has three wounds in his lower abdomen. COD seems to be exstanguination."

I lowered my coffee cup and grabbed a file, looking down as I opened it to scan the contents. "How long have you been here?"

"An hour at most."

I immediately looked up. "You were in my morgue for almost an hour doing..."

"I arrived a little earlier than I had planned so I took a look around the station and meet several people. One of your detectives escorted me down here and I began to prep."

"Which detective?" _So I can beat them into apologizing._

"Detective Waters."

_Or maybe not. _

"Can I just say that when I heard you were working here, I jumped at the opportunity to work for this department. It's an honor to be here."

I stared at him and was hit by the strong urge to laugh. Judging by the smooth lines of clothing and the optimistic look on his face, Michael Richardson was fresh out of medical school and ready to take on the world. I doubted he had ever truly been in situations like the ones he would find here in Vegas. Only time would tell if he'd be able to stomach what this job threw at me daily. It took a unique kind of person to do this day in and day out and if there was one thing I prided myself on being, it was unique.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Why?"

"I…" Michael hesitated, a look of confusion on his face. "Well, you're widely known in this field as being one of the best. Several of the cases you worked on while at the Atlanta department are taught at the yearly seminar in Dallas."

I snorted and turned to grab the coffee pot off the counter. "I get an invitation to that Strokefest every year. What a joke."

"Stroke…fest?"

"A bunch of overpaid assholes get together every year to stroke each other's ego and make the green thumbs feel inadequate."

"I see." He let out a small laugh and smiled. "So, where would you like to start Angela?"

I tossed the coffee pot at him and watched in amusement as he juggled it before gripping it firmly between his hands. "You can start with that." I grabbed my coat and shrugged it on. "And I'll be right back."

* * *

Lucky for him, Ecklie wasn't in his office. My second choice for my unloading rant was Grissom but he was talking to Catherine in his office and that was a conversation I never wanted to involve myself in. Ecklie had given Catherine the principle role of day shift supervisor but had given her many fresh **CSI's**that lacked in skills and needed weeks of training before they were able to fly solo. No doubt Grissom was getting an earful and by the look on his face, she had been going at it for some time. Oh well, I guess my rant would have to wait for now.

I changed directions and lowered myself down into the seat adjacent to Detective Dara Waters's desk.

"I hear you met my new assistant coroner earlier today."

"That I did." Dara didn't look away from her computer screen and she continued to type. "He came into the station at the same time as I did. He looked a little lost so I showed him to the morgue." When I went silent, she paused and flashed me a quick grin. "Oops?"

"Next time you get assigned a rookie cop; I'm sending him to a scene without you." I looked around at the empty desks surrounding hers before directing my attention back to her. "Looks like a certain someone got assigned desk duty today."

Dara smiled and went back to typing. "I was sick last week and missed a couple of days so I have a lot of paper work to catch up on."

_Liar, liar; someone had your pants off. _I had noticed her absence and I knew it wasn't from being sick. Warrick had taken off one of those days as well and it wasn't hard to put the two together.

In the recent months Warrick and Dara had gone from lovers to something more and despite my occasional dislike of Warrick, I said nothing more about it because he seemed to make her happy. Sometimes I sensed **darkness** in Dara that she battled constantly and I knew it had a lot to do with losing her child and grandmother during the events of Katrina. If Warrick was another one of those things that helped it stay at bay, I wasn't going to interfere.

"Have you seen Ecklie?"

Dara snorted but shook her head. "I keep hoping a call will come in that he's been hit by a vehicle."

I couldn't help chuckling at that and watched Dara work. Dara was one of the very few people in the department that I could stand being around for long periods of time. We shared similar interests and a fondness of dark humor. Sure, she was dating Warrick when she could have her pick of any man in the world… B_ut we all have our vices, don't we killer?_

I stood to my feet at the same time I pushed that thought into the back of my mind. "I should see if Grissom is done listening to Catherine complain."

"I swear every time I go by his door she's in there." Dara leaned back in her seat. "Before you go…" She opened her desk drawer and extended a folder towards me. "I thought you might be interested in having this."

I took the folder and opened it. "Nosy little thing aren't we?"

"Guilty as charged. I had some extra time on my hands this morning so I took a look at your new guy for you." Dara rocked back comfortably. "He might be fresh out the gate but he's got a clean record and good references. Overall, he seems like your average red-blooded American male; intelligent, polite, you name it."

"Squeaky."

"What?"

"He's squeaky clean." I snapped the folder shut. "Might be a good nickname for him."

"What were you originally going to call him?"

I tucked the folder under my arm as I saw Catherine walk by. "Assistant coroner guy."

Dara laughed and I moved away. I waited until Grissom lowered a file he held before I cleared my throat and knocked on the open door of his office. He paused from shuffling through his things and looked up at me, his glasses perched on the end of his nose.

"Angela." He motioned me to have a seat. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"I imagine after Hurricane Catherine that anyone would be an improvement." I lowered myself into a seat across from his desk and tossed the folder Dara had given me down. "Mind telling me why I found a green thumb in my morgue this morning?"

Grissom clasped his hands together on the desk. "I'm sure Conrad told you Doctor Robbins is looking to retire in a few years and we just want to be equipped when that time comes to fill his position. Mr. Richardson may be new to the work field but he is quite capable of assisting you." He smiled at me and I immediately knew what he was going to ask. "How are things with Nick?"

"He listens to country music when we're in the car together but other than that, we're just fine." I smiled back slowly. "How are things with Sara?"

Sara had surprised everyone when two months ago she had resigned from her position as a CSI. I wasn't entirely taken off guard considering her recent emotional issues with what her job entailed but I hadn't expected her to disappear from Vegas completely. Grissom had been a wreck for a few weeks after that but Sara had returned a month later and things were back on track.

"Things are lovely." Grissom smiled. I found in our conversations he tended to be more open than I found him to be in a larger group. "Sara's enjoying the time off." He rocked back in his chair comfortably. "You should think about taking some time off yourself Angela; an upcoming wedding can be quite time consuming."

"I'm quite capable of handling two things at once Grissom." _Trust me; I've been doing this juggling act for years._

"Have you decided on a date?"

I winced in my seat. "No."

"Well, I'm sure you will. Those things tend to fall into place once you start."

"May I ask you something personal Grissom?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Why have you never married?"

"It has never been the right time," He leaned back in his chair, "And never the right person."

"Sometimes it can be the right person at the right time and still not work out."

Grissom scratched at his chin but nodded slowly. "I guess it would depend on what you were willing to do in order to make it work. If you want something, it is possible to not only obtain but to keep it as well. Things worth having are never easy to come by or hold onto when they're important to someone."

"You should consider writing fortune cookies if you decide life as a CSI too much for you Grissom."

"It's definitely an option."

"I should go." I stood up. "I need to go check on my shadow and make sure he's not burning down the morgue or something."

Grissom smiled again. "You'll get used to him Angela and before you know it you'll be back to what you do best without having to deal with Ecklie's red tape." He leaned back in his chair again. "Who knows, you might actually enjoy having someone be your shadow."

_I highly doubt that. _I paused as I started to shut the door. "Grissom?"

He didn't look up from the folder in his hand. "You don't have to thank me for requesting you back for night shift. It's good to have you working with us again. Now get to work."

I chuckled and saluted him as he looked up, a small smile on his face. "Yes sir."

* * *

I had barely taken two steps when I had to stop short from bumping into Warrick as he came down the opposite hall. We both took a step back, shifting and clearing our throats in an awkward move that made me immediately hate myself.

"Angela."

"Warrick."

"I heard you were coming back to night shift."

"You heard or you were told?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Does it matter?"

_Back to square one I see. _"I guess not." I kept my posture relaxed and glanced around. "How are things with Dara?"

"I gotta go."

I stepped left when he moved right. He took another right step and when I moved to block him again, he stepped forward to bring us inches apart. "Knock it the off Angela. I've got work to do!"

"How are things with Dara?"

He stared down at me but sighed in defeat. "Not that it's really any of your business but things are great with Dara."

"So she doesn't mind you abusing prescription drugs?"

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop that."

"What's that?"

"That Angela!" Warrick ran his hand over his face. "Jesus Woman, what do you want from me?"

I chuckled, the sound dry and without an ounce of humor. "I don't want anything from you Warrick; I just want you to fix your shit before I have to do it for you." I smiled thinly but the expression vanished immediately. "Every day you go out there unprepared because of your dependency you're not only risking yourself but your team as well. I want Nick returned in the exact same way he left."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Nick, Angela. I can promise you that."

"Your promises aren't any good to me Warrick; they're just words. I'm a see to believe kind of girl." I flashed him another thin smile. "Whatever it is you're taking Warrick? It's not worth your job and your relationships."

"Stop fucking talking to me like we're friends."

"If you want to go back to being at each other's throats all the time, I'm game but it doesn't change the fact that I'm right. Clean your fucking life up or I'll give you reason to."

He stepped closer, looming over me. "Don't even think about it Angela."

"I won't have you risking the man I love just so you can go off half-cocked. You want to go down in a blaze of glory, fine; be my guest but you're not taking any of these people with you, not Dara and definitely not Nick."

"Get out of my damn way."

I ignored the flash of warning in his eyes and reached out to press my hand against his cheek. "You're a good man Warrick and you're better than this. This place you're trying to go, that level of Hell? It won't bring you peace. It won't bring you anything but more pain. You're not making amends for anything you think you've done wrong in your past by willingly doing this to yourself."

His eyes darkened and he reached out to curl his fingers around my wrist but didn't tighten his grip like I expected. "I know what I'm doing Angela. You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are." He smiled faintly. "You're the last person in the entire world I expected to ever be concerned about me but you are."

I smirked. "Maybe I just want to save you. I mean, you end up dead and the first person they're going to interrogate as a suspect is me."

Warrick actually chuckled at that but he didn't release my wrist even after I shifted my hand away from his face. "Don't flatter yourself."

"You can let go of my wrist now." I cocked an eyebrow when he merely stared down at me. "You can let go of my wrist now." I repeated.

"You're not wearing your engagement ring."

My eyes flickered to my hand. "I didn't want to get blood on it or worse, lose it in the guts of some old guy found behind the Wynne. How many girls do you know would give you that excuse, right?"

"When do you get off?"

_Oh man, what a loaded question. _Frowning, I pulled lightly against the pressure of his fingers. "Seriously Warrick, let go of my wrist."

"Ms. Wilkins?"

The intruder made Warrick immediately drop my hand as if it burned him and he strode past me without another word. Frown on my face I watched him go, my head tilted.

"Ms. Wilkins?"

I turned on my heel to face Michael, the ends of my lab coat swirling around my legs. "Yes?"

Michael looked away from the direction Warrick had disappeared to focus on me completely. "There's been a report of a 419. Grissom suggested I shadow you."

"Of course he did. Great, field trip time."

"Was that your fiancé?"

I turned again and he followed. "You were standing there snooping. You know the answer to that question." I stopped just short of the elevator and he came up beside me. "And I don't remember mentioning that I was engaged."

"I met Nick earlier." Michael hit the button on the elevator and directed his attention to the lit numbers as they changed. He smiled, his eyes slowly shifting to meet mine. "He's a very friendly man. The first thing he said when I introduced myself was, have you met my fiancé Angela? She's amazing, you'll just love her."

I stepped into the elevator after he did, Michael hitting the bottom floor before leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest. I assumed the same position on the opposite wall. "I bet he did. Look Michael, if there's something you'd like to know, just ask."

"Would you have said yes?"

"Excuse me?"

"If I hadn't of interrupted you, would you have said yes?"

"All Warrick asked me was when I clocked out and besides, if you knew anything about the relationship I have with the man, you'd realize the absurdity of what you just asked."

"Perhaps you'd like to fill in the blanks for me?"

"I don't think there's enough time in the world to tell you everything you think you should know." I shot him a look as the elevator hit the ground floor and the doors opened. Still smiling at me, he motioned me first and I rolled my eyes before marching past him.

"Did you two date in the past?"

I let out a bark of laughter and continued into the morgue. "I'd rather be disemboweled before even contemplating going on a date with Warrick Brown."

"Interesting choice of words."

The calmly spoken words had me looking up at him as I reached for my kit and SUV keys. I lowered my hand. "Let's get another thing straight here Michael; my personal life is none of your business. I love my fiancé. Nick is Warrick's best friend and right now Warrick is going through some issues. We haven't always gotten along in the past but he's important to Nick and that makes him unfortunately important to me."

"You seemed emotionally involved back there in the hallway yet you label your relationship with Warrick as unfortunate. I'd say you're not exactly sure if that's the correct terminology to use or not."

"And I'd say you're talking out of your ass because that's all you've got to go on right now."

"I apologize for being curious."

His smile told me otherwise. "I'd be careful as to who you become curious about around here. You're new here and the last thing you want to do is make enemies of the people you have to work with on a daily basis."

"The last thing I want to do is make an enemy of you Angela."

I eyed him and stepped away to collect my things. "We've worked together for a total of three hours. You don't know a thing about me or my company and no, questions won't help you."

"I have faith that I'll wear you down."

I glared at him and shrugged on my jacket before I grabbed the keys. "I'm going to supervise while you run this 419 by yourself."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence Angela." He smiled when I glared at him again. "Ms. Wilkins."

"A word of advice, don't screw this up. Ecklie will get pissed and I'll get to laugh." I marched past him. "And stop calling me Ms. Wilkins; you're making me feel like I'm some old hag. Angela will be just fine."

Michael chuckled and grabbed for his kit. "Sure thing Angela."

"And stop smiling at me, it's annoying."

"I'm sorry."

"I thought I told you to stop apologizing damn it!" I noticed I was smiling as we left the building and immediately wiped the expression from my face. If Michael noticed, he didn't say anything and for that I was grateful. It wouldn't look too good for me to kill my assistant on the first day now would it?

**Please Review, thanks!**


	2. Episode 2x02

**A/N: **_A big THANK YOU to everyone who left me feedback for the first chapter. A ton of you added me to your favorites or alert (thank you for that too) but feedback is always very appreciated. I love it when I get feedback; it makes me post faster. hint hint Anyway, here's the next chapter; just like the last one I'm going to try to make this part of the trilogy 24/25 chapters much like episodes for the show. We shall see. Enjoy and please Review!_

* * *

**Chapter Two: But Your Enemies Closer…**

"Hey baby."

I smiled up at Nick as he entered the break room. "Hey you."

He smiled back, leaning to kiss my forehead before sitting down and scooping up my mug. I chuckled at the sight of him flinching the second he sipped my coffee. "How much sugar did you put in this?"

"As much as I wanted," I laughed. "I like my things sweet."

He reached out to stroke my cheek and his grin deepened. "Me too."

"Get a room." Greg joked as he entered. He plopped down in front of us. "I thought you two would be gone by now."

"I let my assistant go early so I stayed behind to tidy a few things up." I took my cup back and chuckled at the pout that appeared on Nick's face. "Get your own! You said mine was too sweet."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to say it out loud." I smiled as he winked at me and rose to his feet, moving quickly to the counter behind us.

Greg grinned at me and plopped his arms down on the table. "How's your assistant working out? I hear Ecklie stuck you with a rookie."

"He has his faults but he's not too bad." I ignored Nick hovering behind me.

"It looks like we're all getting stuck with new people. I hear Catherine really got the raw end of the deal."

"I can't say I'm too sorry to hear that." I muttered into my coffee cup. "What's the word on Dara and Warrick?"

"Why are you asking me and not your fiancé?" Greg grinned.

I smiled back as Nick took a seat beside me again. "Because he doesn't like to gossip about people like you do."

"I do not gossip." Greg laughed. "All I can say is that those two have been at it like cats and dogs lately; when they're not making out around here that is." He laughed. "I think Ecklie has something up his sleeve concerning them. Someone should say something." He paused as he recognized the look on my face. "No. Don't even ask."

"Remember that time you told me you'd asked everyone to take in this little cute puppy and then it turned out you hadn't really asked anyone at all!?"

He let out a loud sigh and my grin widened. "I guess I could say… something."

"Good boy."

Nick chuckled as Greg disappeared into the hallway. "You should let Warrick and Dara handle their business baby." He sat down his mug and glanced around before smiling at me. "Give me a kiss."

"What? Are you crazy? No."

"Come on babe, just one little kiss."

"Absolutely not, we're at work Nick!" I pushed his face away when he leaned towards me but I was smiling as I did so. "Stop it."

Nick chuckled and wrapped his arm around the back of my chair. "One kiss is all I ask. Besides, I already kissed you on the forehead."

"And I should have smacked you for that too!" I giggled as he buried his face into my neck. "Nick, stop!"

He was smiling when he finally leaned back. He sipped at his coffee and cleared his throat. "I know you've noticed Warrick acting strangely lately but the last thing Warrick wants to do is hurt Dara. He loves her."

I snorted at that and toyed with my cup. "I thought she would have gotten smart and dumped him by now." I smiled to lighten my words.

Nick smiled back. "Why would she do that? She loves him too baby."

"That poor girl."

"Speaking of Warrick, is it true you two got into a heated argument earlier today?"

"Heated?" I scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, you know he couldn't do anything to make my blood pressure rise."

"So he didn't grab your wrist?"

Despite knowing the answer I asked the question anyway. "Where in the world did you hear this from?"

"I went to the morgue looking for you earlier. Michael mentioned you and Warrick had argued over something and he had grabbed your wrist. Michael figured you were probably talking to him again." Nick grabbed my wrist. "Did he hurt you?"

"Of course not Nick."

He stroked the inside of my wrist. "The other night I talked to him about how stressed out he's been and I noticed he had a bottle of pills. They were prescription but I think he's become addicted to them."

"If he won't get help voluntarily you're going to have to make him."

"You know as well as I do that Warrick doesn't do anything he doesn't want to, force or not."

I removed my wrist only to grab his hand and thread our fingers together. "He could lose his job Nicky. He could die." I kept my eyes on his. "You don't want the fact you didn't try on your conscience."

"If I say anything to Grissom and it gets back to Ecklie..."

"Grissom won't let that happen but if Ecklie catches Warrick first..."

"You're right." Nick quickly pressed his lips against my hand. "I love you."

I smiled, squeezing his fingers before I extracted my hand from his. "I love you too but if you don't stop that I'm going to smack you into next week."

"I love it when you talk like that."

"I'm not kidding!" I laughed. "I'm laughing but it's not a joke Nicky. If Ecklie sees us he'll blow a gasket. Work isn't the place for...for..."

"For?"

I slapped him harmlessly on the shoulder. "You know what I mean. Business and pleasure, two separate things, got it?"

He saluted me and laughed as I smacked him again. We were still laughing when Grissom came into the break room, the older man eying us sitting so closely together. Automatically I wiped the smile off my face and slid my chair over a few inches.

"Grissom."

"I thought I told you to go home Nick."

"You did sir but then I saw…"

"You two should get going." He smiled at me before turning to grab the coffee pot. "Don't give Ecklie the excuse to make all of our lives miserable."

I rose up from my seat, mug in my hand. "You mean more than he already does?"

"Come on baby." Nick stood up as well. "Let's go home."

"What did I tell you about calling my pet names at work?"

"To do it more often cause you like it so much?"

I ignored Grissom's small smile that he tried to wipe away quickly. I glared at Nick but he knew the look held no heat. "I need to clean up in the morgue but I'll see you at home Nick."

* * *

Nick beat me home by thirty minutes and when I entered the house he was already on our bed sprawled out. Shrugging off my light jacket, I threw it onto the back of my dresser chair. I kicked off my shoes and crawled onto the bed, lowering myself slowly down on top of him.

Eyes closed, he smiled and brought his hands to my hips. "I was about to come kidnap you."

"Kinky."

He chuckled and opened his eyes. "Did everything go okay today? I heard you were quite surprised to meet your assistant."

"Besides the initial shock, my minion lives to see another day."

Nick cocked an eyebrow. "Your minion?"

I smirked down at him. "I had him getting coffee almost the entire shift and I only drank one cup. He seems like a pretty clean cut, decent guy but I think he's a little slow."

"You're terrible."

"You love it."

"That I do." He shifted his right hand to cup the back of my neck and I allowed him to pull me down to meet his lips with mine. The deepening of the kiss was mutual and I felt my body melt into his, warmth spreading all the way to the ends of my toes. "I love you."

I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. "I love you too Nicky." I closed my eyes and for several minutes we rested there in silence.

"Babe?"

"What is it?"

He stroked his hand up and down my back. "Do you remember when you first started working at the department and Greg followed you around like a puppy dog?" He chuckled. "Warrick thought it was hilarious but he was kind of mad at the same time."

I opened my eyes and propped myself up on my elbow to peer at him. "He was?"

"Yeah." Nick smiled. "He wanted to ask you out but Greg kept blocking him every time he tried."

"What a shame. I might have said yes."

"What?" He rolled us and laughing I looped my arms around his neck. "Don't say things like that."

"And what did you have to say about the whole thing?" I smiled as if I already knew the answer.

"I told him if he asked you out, I'd crack his skull in, that's what."

"How romantic."

"You think so?"

Nodding, I looped my legs around his waist. "Oh yes, very." I smiled into the next kiss he pressed onto my lips. "I guess I'll have to thank you for being so protective of me."

"That sounds like a great idea to me."

I rolled us so I was back on top again. "I couldn't agree more."

* * *

The phone ringing saved me from a dream I was having. Groggy, I reached over Nick to snatch the house phone off the receiver. "This better be God telling me the winning lottery numbers."

"Angela?"

The panic in Greg's voice had all traces of sleepiness disappearing from my brain and I sat up. "Greg, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I tried calling Nick's cell phone but it went to voice mail. Warrick's in trouble."

"What do you mean trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"He's been investigating this guy named Lou Gedda who runs a strip club downtown. We couldn't make evidence stick so Warrick started doing some work on the side. They arrested him Angela!" Greg rushed on quickly. "This girl that worked at the club; they found her dead in his car!"

I grabbed Nick's arm, shaking him roughly until he woke up. "Nick, get up. Warrick's been arrested for murder." My mind was reeling at the news and for a minute I imagined it was possible. Under the influence a person could do a lot of things they never would sober. Perhaps tonight had been Warrick's breaking point, perhaps… "Greg, what about Dara?"

"I haven't called her; Nick and you were the first people I thought to call."

"Listen to me very carefully Greg; do not call Dara right now. Wait until the last second. Ecklie's going to be all over this and as soon as Dara finds out, she's going to do something that will stir up even more problems for him."

He exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm scared Angela."

"Don't be Greg; we'll sort this out. Just hang in there; you're no good to him if you're a complete mess. I'll see you in a bit." I hung up and looked over to see Nick was already dressed minus his shoes. "You didn't tell me Warrick was working the Gedda case."

"I wasn't aware you know who he was. Damn, where are my shoes?" Nick rummaged through the closet. "This has to be a mistake. Warrick wouldn't kill anyone; he just wouldn't."

_Of course I knew who Gedda was; I've been watching him closely for some time. _I watched Nick shove his shoes on. "Sometimes people do-"

"He wouldn't Angela and that's final!"

"You need to calm down; like I told Greg…" I was stopped as my cell phone began to ring and I opened it quickly. "Angela Wilkins."

"I'm quite aware Greg has already called you." Ecklie responded sternly. "I expect you down here as soon as possible to release the scene. Bring Richardson with you."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"I said bring him Ms. Wilkins. I don't like repeating myself."

I rose from the bed and forced down the urge to throw my phone at the wall. "Yes sir. May I ask about Warrick's condition?"

"No, you may not. Get down here and tell Nick to not bother showing up. No one close to Warrick is allowed at the scene."

"I must insist you get someone else in the department to do it; I'm…"

"I know you're not friends with him Ms. Wilkins so don't try to weasel out of this. I want the best on this. Now get down here."

He hung up on me and I lowered the phone, staring at it.

"What'd he say?"

I shut the phone and looked up at Nick. "I have to go." Throwing on my scrubs from the night before, I began to gather my things. "You're not allowed to go to the scene; no one close to Warrick can. More than likely they already have Warrick at the station."

"You told him you couldn't go right? You're close to him, how is that fair?"

"This isn't about fairness Nick." I ignored him knowing the look of hurt and confusion that would be on his face clear as day. "I'm not emotionally connected to him like the rest of you are."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Oh really?" I shoved my phone into my bag and turned to stare at him. "You think just because you've been friends with someone for a long period of time that you could truly know who they are inside? Everyone is possible of committing murder Nick, everyone. I have to treat this case like every other case and that's what I'm going to do."

"How can you say that? This is Warrick! Think about who we're talking about here! Think about Dara!"

"Right now you need to think about yourself Nicky." I slid my tennis shoes on and grabbed my keys. "The best thing for you to do is to stay here and wait to hear from Warrick."

"I'm going down to the station."

I knew he would say that. "If that's what you think you should do, I can't stop you."

"If it was me, you'd be there Angela. Warrick is going to need everyone on this; we have to help clear his name."

"I don't want you to be destroyed if it turns out that-"

"Don't." He snapped grabbing his own keys from the dresser. "I don't want to hear it."

I watched him almost run out of the bedroom but I followed at a more leisurely pace. Maybe it was wrong of me to straddle the fence but I had been in the situation before where the person I trusted most had killed that trust. I thought Dylan was the man I had dreamed of one day marrying and he had ended up destroying that person I used to be. It hadn't been in me to be a killer at first; that was never my dream but because of him, I was now proof that's all we were in the end; destroyers of lives.

* * *

"He seems so normal."

I looked up from the body of the young woman to eye Michael. "You'll find in this job that normal is quite relative." I looked back down. "Write this down. Victim is twenty-seven year old Joanna Krumsky; a dancer at the Pigalle strip club. COD was exsanguination from what appears to be a sharp object to the throat. TOD is being placed at roughly 3 am."

"Do you think he's guilty?"

"Are you writing this down Michael?" I snapped off my gloves. "This isn't the time for twenty questions. Do what I tell you."

"I'm-"

"If you even think about apologizing you're going to join Krumsky on a slab." I turned away to write something down on a folder lying on the counter behind me. He said nothing and I paused from writing. "I don't know." I answered. "Do I think he's capable? Sure, who isn't, but do I think he would? Well, I just don't know."

"Everyone else seems pretty certain that he's been set up by this Lou Gedda guy. Who is that exactly?"

"He's someone you don't want to cross paths with." I shut the folder and turned to face him again. "Long story short is that he used to be heavy weight mobster around here when Vegas was in full swing but lately he's been running the ass, grass, and cash game."

"So it's possible he framed Warrick for snooping?"

"It's possible."

Michael closed the folder that held the report and extended it. "Ecklie said he wanted the report directly from you."

"I don't give a shit what Ecklie wants right now."

He lowered the folder, dark eyes studying me. "I imagine Nick is quite upset."

"You could say that." I sighed as the morgue phone beeped and I almost jerked it off the wall answering it. "What? Now? Fine." I slammed it back down and grabbed the folder from Michael.

"Let me guess, Ecklie?"

I didn't answer and he followed as I strode from the morgue. We had just exited the elevator when I spotted Dara talking heatedly with Ecklie. "Damn it Greg." I passed Michael the folder as Dara caught sight of us. "Stay here."

Smartly, he said nothing and I approached the two preparing the entire time for anything.

"No." Ecklie was denying Dara her request with a thin smile on his face. "I'm not stupid despite what the rest of you think."

"That's your story Ecklie." I quipped as I came up beside him. "Can I have a minute with Detective Waters?"

"You are not to share any information about the case with her."

"I'm certain that Doctor Wilkins understands the concept of confidentiality, after all it is one of the corner stones of our profession." Michael said suddenly from behind me. He ignored me glaring at him. "I have our report Mr. Ecklie, if you'd like I can go over the details with you."

The two men moved away and Dara turned her attention to me. "Ang…"

"Shut up and listen to me." I hissed. "Go home and stay there. Don't give Ecklie any more reason to want to run Warrick up the river."

"I…" Dara inhaled sharply. "I can't lose him like this. He couldn't do this. He's not a murderer!"

I wasn't sure why I was even offering her comfort but something in me recognized the panic look flooding her eyes. "Don't start crying, Ecklie will get off on it." I took a step closer to her. "Everyone is doing all they can to find out what happened Dara."

"I love him Angela."

"You must have been dropped on the head as a baby. That's the only explanation I can come up with. I know that you love him, so does Nick. Trust me Dara and get out of here." I all but shoved her into the elevator and didn't look away from her until the doors had shut.

I stood there for several minutes, the entire night's events spinning around in my head. Three years ago, her pleas would have rolled off me like water. I wouldn't have cared. In fact, most of it would have amused me, but hearing the fear in her voice at the possibility of losing Warrick and seeing Nick start to fall apart at the idea of losing his best friend too, I couldn't help but be emotionally affected. I was feeling something but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"How is he? Do you know?"

I blinked at Nick as he came to stand in front of me and startled me from my thoughts. "I thought I told you to stay clear of this."

"I know what you told me. The girl; how did she die?"

"I can't talk to you about the case Nick."

"Angela, please…"

"Wilkins!"

My head snapped to the side to see Ecklie glaring at me. I resisted the urge to flip him off. "Yes?"

"Go home." He looked at Nick and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here Stokes? Am I going to have to request by court order the two of you stay separate until this investigation is over? Wilkins is under strict orders to not talk to anyone about the case and that includes you."

"A court order won't be necessary Conrad." It was Grissom that spoke as he approached us. "Both of you need to go home. Please."

"We want to see Warrick Gris. They won't let us see him!"

"You know how this works Nick. You're not doing him any favors by causing a scene or by getting yourself suspended." Grissom reached out to squeeze Nick's shoulder. "Go home and get some sleep. I'll call you when I find out anything." He looked at me and I nodded. "Go."

I turned away without another word. I didn't look to see what Nick was doing but I hoped he was heading for his car. I didn't want to think about the verbal tug of war that would occur when I got home. I had a hard enough time as it was in denying Nick the simple things; how was I to withstand him when it was something that so desperately mattered to him?

* * *

I stood in the doorway of the bedroom and watched Nick from where he sat on the bed. Surprisingly he hadn't spoken a word since we had returned home. Elbows on his knees and hands clasped together, he was staring at the floor as if any second it was going to give him the answers he desired.

Slowly I crossed the room, bare feet against the plush carpet, and climbed onto the bed to wrap my arms around him.

"Warrick's not a killer."

I pressed my cheek to his back and said nothing.

"This has to be some horrible mistake." Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. "After everything he's done, after everything we've been through as friends, this has to be some kind of mistake."

"I wonder what Dara's making of all of this."

"What do you mean? I imagine she's upset, the guy she loves is-"

"The guy she loves has been arrested for supposedly killing a stripper that he slept with." I kept my tone calm and low. I knew I was going the wrong way about this so I decided to change directions. "He didn't kill her but he did sleep with her and for someone to do that to a woman he says he loves…"

Nick grabbed onto my hands. "It had to be the drugs, someone slipped them something. Maybe she did but instead of being in on it they turned on her, whoever did it. Gedda, I bet Warrick is right; I bet it's Gedda."

"Please don't get involved in this Nick. I couldn't stand it if-"

"Don't think that way. Nothing is going to happen to me baby."

"You don't know that." I whispered. _I don't know that and by God I hate that it scares me._

He turned on the bed, hands cupping my face gently. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm never leaving you Angela; I promise you that."

_And what if something happens to me? _I had seen the way that they had all looked at Warrick as he was being lead away in the police car. Their stares had been judgmental and cautious but mostly filled with disbelief. How would they look at me if I was ever discovered? Disbelief? Shock? Hate?

Why did it suddenly matter?

"I love you Angela. You're everything to me. I love you."

That was why.

TBC...


	3. Episode 2x03

**Chapter Three: Call 1-800-Serial Killer for Assistance**

Three days later the charges were dropped and Warrick was released. Finger prints had been found in his car that had directed them to a homeless man who had taken up residence in the alley behind the strip club. I wasn't entirely sold on the whole thing but for now the heat was taken off Warrick. That shift in attention would allow me to look into things myself and I fully intended on doing so.

The atmosphere between myself and Nick at the house was rather tense but we were both doing our best to ignore it. I knew he was upset with me and how I had approached the situation but wouldn't actually say anything to me about it. I knew over time he would eventually put it aside and focus on something other than his obvious disappointment.

Snapping my gloves off my hands, I moved away from the body I had finished sewing up. Michael was off for the day and instead of enjoying the time alone in the morgue, I found myself thinking of Nick and depressing myself. So into my thoughts I never noticed Warrick standing in the doorway of the morgue.

Our eyes met and I tossed my gloves into the contamination bin. "What can I do for you Warrick?"

"I was told you did the autopsy for Joanna Krumsky."

"I did." I didn't move as he came towards me. I noticed he seemed more alert than he had been in the past and I wondered if in exchange for his drug habit he had traded for an obsession over being framed. "I can't share any information with you about the case Warrick; you know that."

"I need your help Angela."

"I'm sorry." I froze as he grabbed my arms. "Warrick…"

"Please Angela, I'm begging you. Everyone is shutting me out on this and it's not fair. I keep dreaming about her and I know it's my fault she died. She died because of me Angela; because I couldn't stop Gedda before it was too late."

I kept my eyes on his and reached up to grab his wrists. "Please let go of me."

"Promise you'll help me." Seeing no expression on my face, he let go of me. "You don't care do you?" He took a step back from me. "As long as it's not your neck or Nick's on the line, you don't give a shit what happens, do you?"

"That's not true."

"Is that right? Could it be the ice queen actually cares about something more than just her own ass?"

"You're way out of line Warrick but I'm going to overlook it based on your recent problems." I took a step back to put more distance between us. "You need to leave before Ecklie finds you snooping around down here."

He ran a hand over his face and pulled anxiously at the tie around his neck. "All I'm asking for is a little help Angela; no one has to know. I just need to see the autopsy report."

"You need to let this go, that's what you need to do." I snapped. "You think you're the first to go up against Gedda and pay for it? He's been at this game for a very long time Warrick. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he has connections that reach as far as this department so believe when I say letting the entire case go would be the best idea you've ever had."

"If that's true, we have to do something about it."

"We're not superheroes Warrick." I shook my head. "And I don't feel like walking around with a bulls eye on my back for the rest of my life. I've got enough problems as it is."

He actually snorted at me. "Oh, what fucking problems do you have Angela? You lost someone when you were younger and it turned you into some machine right? I get it. So now what? Fuck everyone else as long as your life stays the way you want it? Lou Gedda is out there getting away with murder and you don't give a shit, is that it?"

"Get out of my morgue Brown." I turned my back to him feeling sparks of anger shoot down my spine. _You don't know me. You don't know a damn thing about me or what I care about. Get out, get the fuck out!_

"I'll never fucking get what Nick sees in you. You don't have a soul."

I turned on the heel of my shoe. "Get out!"

"With fucking pleasure."

The door slammed behind him and I stared at it for several minutes almost wishing he'd come back in so I could give him an earful. He didn't and I listened as silence filled the morgue. Unlike the majority of the time, the silence irked me instead of being soothing and with a growl, I strode from the room.

I caught up with Warrick in the parking garage and the look of surprise on his face as I swung him to face me would have made me laugh had I not been so furious. "Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that?" I spat. "I said those things and I'll continue saying them because despite not wanting to, I do give a shit what happens to you!"

"Angela…"

"You matter to Nick. You matter to Dara. You matter to everyone at this fucking station that has worked with you for eight years and with this kind of attitude I don't see why!" I hit him in the chest with my fist. "You're going to get yourself killed Warrick and what happens to the people you leave behind? They become shells; that's what!"

He caught my wrist as I went to hit him again but I twisted free. "You think I want this on my conscious? You think I like seeing my friends tear themselves up because they can't help you? I never wanted this responsibility."

"Angela…"

"I'm not finished!" I barked. "Call me an ice queen, call me whatever you like but you have no idea what I've been through over the years, no clue at all! You think you're the only one that's been hurt and had to live with ghosts? Fuck you." I slammed my fist against his chest as hard as I could. "I have a fucking soul!"

I twisted as he grabbed for me but I couldn't free myself, trying hard to hit him even as he pulled me close. Warrick wrapped his arms around me and I shocked myself as I finally noticed I was crying.

"I'm sorry." Warrick whispered. "I'm so sorry Angela."

"No, you're not."

"I am." He pushed me back in order to brush the tears from my face. "I know this has been hard on everyone and I just haven't taken the time to consider everyone's feelings. I want to get this guy Angela; I have to do something right here. Joanna deserves justice."

"Dara deserves to be able to sleep at night. Nick deserves to be able to call you whenever he wants and actually reach you." I pushed his hands away. "Stop, just stop touching me."

Warrick tugged at his tie. "Have you taken your lunch break yet Angela? I'm starving."

I eyed him but shook my head. "I haven't had the time."

"Make time." He dug his keys out his pockets. "Come on; we'll talk."

"The last thing either of us needs is to be seen going off together."

He cocked an eyebrow at me and I almost felt as if I was being scolded. "I doubt anyone will accuse us of having a secret rendezvous."

"Dara will be waiting on you when she gets off."

"I have my phone; she can call me when she gets back from this case she's working on with Henderson. It might be a while."

I opened my mouth to give another excuse but the look that sparked in Warrick's eyes made my change my mind. "Alright." I took a step back from him to put needed distance once again between us. "I'll go clock out."

* * *

We settled on eating at this tiny diner just off the strip called Rita's that served breakfast as well as any type of meal combination a person could think up. It wasn't the most popular place in Vegas due to it being in a bad part of town but the food was too good to ignore. I used to eat at Rita's all the time despite the crime; it wasn't like I was ever worried about being mugged.

I watched as Warrick scanned his menu with interest for several minutes before snapping it shut and looking at me. I didn't need to open my menu and was delighted to see my old waitress had remembered me already bringing out a coffee fixed just the way I liked it and two waters.

"Find something?"

"I think so." He sipped at his water. "I can't believe I've never been here before."

I leaned back in the booth and toyed with the handle of my fork. "People like to avoid this area."

"I would too if I valued my life. You come here a lot?"

"If I say yes, are you going to scold me?"

Warrick actually smiled and I watched the action light up his entire face. There were too many shadows lingering there. "I imagine I wouldn't have to if Nick found out."

"But he isn't going to find out is he?" I looked away as Eva, the waitress, approached to take our order. "I'll have the breaded chicken sandwich and the curly fries."

"And you Honey?"

He kept his eyes on me. "I'll have the same thing."

I watched her walk away before I focused back on his face. "What?"

"Do you keep a lot of secrets from Nick?"

_Loaded question of the day right there Warrick Brown. _"Everyone has their secrets Warrick." I sipped at my coffee and lowered the mug slowly back to the table. "About what you said in the morgue…"

"I was out of line."

I ignored that. "I don't see how learning about Joanna's death will help you. The focus is elsewhere."

"I just want to know all the facts."

"Knowing everything won't bring you peace Warrick." I looked down to avoid his gaze. "In the end, you still can't save them no matter how hard you try."

"It must have been hard, losing your brother like you did."

I looked back up, my grip tightening around the handle of my fork. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I imagine in a way you felt it was your fault."

"Stop Warrick."

"That's how I feel." He toyed with his napkin. "Joanna is dead because of me, because I dragged her into a situation she didn't belong. If I hadn't gone to talk to her…"

Something possessed me to reach across the table to place my hand over his. The second his eyes flickered to my hand I fought the urge to pull my hand away. In the past I had never been too good at expressing emotional concern for someone else but I knew now it was because I had continuously blocked off that part of my life. "You weren't the one that killed her Warrick; that blame is on someone else."

"Yeah, Gedda; the bastard who's running free right now instead of locked up behind bars where he belongs."

"Why do you think he killed her?"

"I don't know; maybe I was getting to close to figuring out his operation. Or maybe she knew something and killing her was the only way to make sure both of us stayed quiet." Warrick pulled his tie loose and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. "All I know for certain is that now I'm out Gedda won't stop until I'm out of the picture. That's why I have to get him before he gets me."

"So this is about survival; is that it?"

"It's about justice, Angela. It's about doing what's right."

I fell silent as our food arrived. It had been a while since I was actually hungry but my stomach grumbled at smelling the generous heap of fries and cooked chicken on the plate. I watched Warrick practically dive into his food and couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since he had eaten a decent meal without drugs in his system.

"Your boyfriend seems to be enjoying the food I see."

I cocked an eyebrow at hearing the waitress's comment and didn't look away from Warrick as I smirked. "He certainly is; aren't you Sugar Lips?"

Warrick smiled back and nodded with an amused chuckle. "I sure am Honey Bun."

Eva giggled as she moved away and I popped a fry into my mouth, neither of us looking away. I chewed and swallowed. "Is that what you like to call Dara?"

"Is Sugar Lips something you like to call Nick?" Warrick ate one of his fries quickly. "If so, I could do without hearing that type of information."

I chuckled and busied myself with eating my food. After finishing half of my fries and most of my sandwich, I wiped my mouth with my napkin and watched him clean off his entire plate. "Would you like dessert?"

Warrick looked up with raised eyebrows. "What do you have in mind?"

I signaled Eva for a menu and lowered it onto the table as she walked away. "I wasn't including myself in the question."

"There's no point in having dessert unless you share." He pointed out.

"I've never been a big fan of desserts."

"Maybe you've never tried the right one."

I eyed him and didn't reach for the menu again. Eva was a thankful interruption as she brought over the check and I scooped it up from her hand before Warrick had the chance. "It's on me." I waved away his objection with a simple flick of my hand.

He watched me pay and leave the tip, eyes never leaving my face the entire time. "Why are you being nice to me now?"

"Because I can't help you in the way you want. This will have to do."

"You can at least tell me how and when she died."

"Why? It won't help you sleep better at night."

"Damn it Angela; I don't sleep at night as it is!" Warrick hit the table with his closed fist. "Give me something, anything! For once in your life, put past the fact you hate me and give me anything to go on!"

Eva hovered in the background as if uncertain about my safety but I motioned her to take the check. She hurried off quickly and I glanced around at the restaurant to see a couple people watching us. As soon as they saw me looking at them, they fixed their attention elsewhere. "You're asking me to willingly risk my job." I focused back on Warrick as calmly as I could despite the annoyance at the entire situation beginning to surface in my mind. "And for the record, I don't hate you but I certainly do like my job a lot more than I do you."

He surprised me by reaching out to grab my hand. "Please Angela."

"Let's go." I rose from the booth and walked out without looking to see if he planned to follow. I had just stuck my keys into the door when his tall shadow fell across my car and I turned my head to gaze at him. "She bled out Warrick. Someone cut her throat, tossed her into your car in the early morning hours, and left her there to die. By the positioning of the body and the door being open, I'd say she was still alive and trying to get out when she finally expired."

Warrick ran his hands over his face and leaned against the side of his car where it was parked beside mine. "Jesus Christ."

"There was trace amounts of the drug Ketamine in her system as I imagine were in yours as well. That would have made it easier to transport the body for dumping." I opened my door with a quick jerk. "It probably doesn't help but given the dosage she probably didn't feel anything."

He dropped his hands and glared at me. "No, that doesn't fucking help." He snapped.

"Well, it should given the circumstances. I need to get back to work."

"Hey."

I turned and was surprised yet again by him reaching out to pull me towards him. "Warrick…" I remained stiff as he wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.

"Thank you."

"You'll find in the long run I haven't given you much help." With my hand trapped between us I could feel the steady beat of his heart and it flashed a quick reminder through me that just like the rest of us Warrick was flesh and blood, purely human with his own faults and desires. In another life time I might have gotten closer to the man he really was inside. In another life time, our roles could be reversed.

Did I believe Warrick capable of murder? Of course I did. Anger, sorrow, disappointment, any range of human emotions could make a man or woman capable of taking a life. I did it in the past because I thought it was the only destiny I had left to this miserable life. Now I ran from it but how long would that last before I ran out of road? Lou Gedda was gunning for Warrick now and he wouldn't stop until he no longer had to worry about the CSI pinning him with a wrap sheet. Sadly someone was going to have to do something and I was beginning to think that someone was me. Shame really; retirement had been rather blissful up until this point.

Warrick released me but something deep inside urged me to reach out and touch his face. I wasn't sure why but the human contact mattered now; to who more I wasn't sure but it meant something.

"Don't put yourself into so deep into a situation that I can't get you out of it Warrick."

He looked confused by the statement but he covered my hand softly with his. "Who would have thought you were the one I could depend on to help me Angela?"

"Definitely not me." I smirked. "Besides, I haven't helped you."

"The girl deserves justice and so do so many others Gedda has ruined. The man they arrested may not even be the real killer; doesn't that bother you even just a little bit?" Warrick dropped his hand back down to his side. "Grissom suspended me for two weeks because I can't seem to let this go but how am I supposed to when I know someone like Gedda is still out there?"

"If you want Gedda that badly Warrick, do it the right way; let other people handle it. You're not doing anyone any favors by constantly putting yourself into the line of danger."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were worried about me."

I lowered my hand and stepped back. "You certainly have one hell of an imagination, and if you tell anyone about this little get together I'll deny the whole thing up and down."

"Angela."

Hand on my car door, I turned again, eyebrow cocked. "What Warrick?" Nothing in the entire world could have shocked me more when he put his hand on the roof of my car and leaned in to brush his lips against my cheek. I flinched at the simple touch of contact and the jerk of my body caused his lips to brush against mine.

I watched as something flashed in his eyes, a flicker I hadn't really noticed before, but speaking of it was the last thing on my mind at that exact moment. It was like my body responded however, a turning of gears and thoughts leading me to wonder if I really knew who Warrick was at all behind that mask and CSI badge he guarded himself on a daily basis.

It wasn't until a car honked in the distance followed by someone yelling that I broke eye contact with him. "I have to go."

Warrick stepped back so I could get into the driver's seat of my Camry and shut the door. "Angela…"

"What?" I gripped the steering wheel and prayed he didn't say a single word about what just happened.

"If you find out anything you think I should know; you'll call me?"

I nodded but didn't dare look at him.

"Thank you."

Nodding again, I started the engine and quickly put the car in reverse. I wanted nothing more than to get far away from him as possible and put back the brick wall of isolation I had once set up so perfectly between us. Being with Nick and opening myself to the people I worked with had changed me. At first I thought it to be for the better but now when I looked at it I was starting to wonder if I was only setting myself up for disappointment.

I loved Nick but at the same time I had loved Dylan. Was I merely fooling myself and ignoring the signs? Who was I kidding, living this lie? I was a killer. I enjoyed it and the act of playing judge, jury, and executioner had at one time been all that had mattered to me. Now I was planning weddings, going on double dates, taking care of a dog for Christ's sake, and helping out a man I once had loathed even begin the same room with. Had I settled for mediocrity in this life all because of love? Had Nick made me that way or was I the one to blame? Could I really be this model person when around me the world was falling apart with no one to help it rebuild itself?

I debated with myself the entire drive back to the station. Even at the end of my shift, all I had were my doubts and not a single answer in sight.


	4. Episode 2x04

**Chapter Four: Something Wicked This Way Comes  
**

Dressed in my robe, I smiled at the sight of the neighbor's twin girls playing in the grass with Fuddles. The small dog barked and bounced around excitedly, the girls laughing as they chased him. I leaned against the doorframe; my smile deepening as Nick wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Fuddles is fine; come back to bed."

"Absolutely not." I laughed as he nuzzled my neck. "Stop."

He kissed the spot below my ear. "Absolutely not. They're cute aren't they?"

I watched as Fuddles jumped onto a giggling Alicia. "They're alright." I squeaked as he tickled my side and I was smiling as he twisted me to face him, his arms wrapping around me again.

"Do you want to have kids?"

My actions from the previous day concerning Warrick flashed through my mind followed by the rampant thoughts and accusations I had hurled at myself. "Nicky…"

His dark eyes studied mine. "You do want to have a family with me right?"

"You know I want to marry you."

"But you don't want kids."

"I never said that."

"You've never said you wanted them either."

I sighed as he pulled away from me. "I haven't honestly given it much thought. I mean, my God Nick, I never imagined I'd ever become engaged again."

"Well, you are engaged again Angela and I want kids, baby. I want kids with you!"

"Nick, I'm... I'm not the mother type. I just..." My mind was going at one hundred miles an hour but every excuse that popped up wasn't good enough. "I just don't think I'm cut out to be a mother."

"How can you say that? Baby, you're amazing. I think you'd be a great mom."

I clasped my hands together to stop myself from pulling at my hair. "I'm sorry. I know you grew up with a lot of brothers and sisters but-" I lowered my hands. "I love you and I want to make you happy but it doesn't change the fact that I don't think I'm ever going to be ready for that step." Nick stared at me for a few minutes and my mouth dropped open in surprise as he suddenly turned away from me. "Nicky..."

He shook his head and marched out the door, the kids greeting him loudly as he approached them. I stayed where I was and watched him play with them and the dog. The girls ganged up on Nick, all three of them laughing as he went down onto the grass. They quickly turned him into a jungle gym, even Fuddles getting in on the action.

I watched them for a few minutes before I slammed the door and marched back into the bedroom. I took a shower and dressed, taking the time to dry my hair before returning to the living room. I spotted Nick on the couch with a beer, his attention focused on the football game now playing there.

"Are you mad at me now?"

"I don't want to talk right now Angela." He didn't look away from the screen. "Just give me some space."

"I'm not going to leave. I want to talk."

"I don't."

"Nick..."

"I said I don't want to talk Angela, did you not hear me?" He turned his head to gaze up at me and I ignored Fuddles now running around wildly in the house obviously still excited from playing in the yard.

I sighed and dropped down onto the couch beside him. "Please don't be angry at me because of this."

"This? You're going to refer to it as this?"

"What would you like me to call it?"

"How about what it is? I want kids and you don't. That's obviously not going to change."

Grabbing my knee caps, I dug my nails into the material of my jeans. "I can't bring a child into this world when I'm not able to care for it."

"You're acting like a child is going to be a burden or that you're going to be raising it by yourself. You're not. I want to make a baby with you and help you raise our child. Hell, I want to do that with a ton of kids!"

"We're not even married and you're already planning children Nick, it's just too soon."

"That's what people do when they get married Angela: they fall in love, they get married and they raise a family together. That's what people who love each other do!"

"A lot of couples don't have kids."

"Well, I'm not that type of man Angela and you know that! You know I come from a big family, you know how I was raised yet somehow you think I'd be okay with not having my own children?"

"Maybe we shouldn't get married."

Nick sat up straighter against the couch. "What?"

I sighed. "I'm not ready, I'm not sure I ever will be and you said that's what married people do."

"Is that what you want?"

"Is that what you want?" I shot back.

"You damn well know that's not what I want!"

I stood up off the couch at the same time as he did. "It's not what I want either. Despite you being a stubborn asshole at times, I love you!"

"You would know about stubborn baby but it doesn't make me love you any less!"

We were stared at each other heatedly but then suddenly we were all over each other, Nick's mouth crushing mine in a punishing kiss. Our teeth bumped but I craved more and more, hands shaking in need as I reached between us for his belt. I jumped up into his arms and Nick grunted, hands cupping my ass. He lowered us onto the couch at the same time he slid inside of me. A frenzied pace grew between us and I dug my nails into his shoulders, my hips meeting his frantically each time he thrust forward.

"Nick." I panted and clawed at his shirt. "Nick, oh fuck."

"I love you." He crushed my mouth with his again. "I love you so damn much."

I bit his bottom lip, sucking it into my mouth. "I love you more than you know Nick."

He grunted and before I knew it we were both falling over the edge. We stayed pressed together for several minutes until Fuddles began to bark from somewhere in the house. I laughed at the absurdity of it all and pressed my mouth against his.

He pulled back to stare down at me. "This doesn't change things Angela. I don't understand why-"

"I'm scared." I interrupted and reached up to stroke his cheek. "I don't know the first thing about being a mother. I don't know if I can handle something like that."

"Everybody's scared at first." He nuzzled my hand. "That's why there are so many books and classes to prepare people. I'm not trying to push this on you but I want kids. One day I want kids with you baby."

"Let's just focus on getting married first before we start thinking about expanding."

He smiled. "I can deal with that."

I smiled back but any response I had was lost as my cell phone began to ring. Nick groaned but lifted his weight off of me, both of us adjusting our clothing with me pulling the robe tight around myself again before I left the living room to get my phone from where it rested on the bedroom dresser.

The screen flashed that it was work and with a sigh I flipped open my phone. "Angela Wilkins, unfortunately."

"Hey Angel Cakes." Greg's voice was more serious than usual. "Sorry to call you so early but I'm on swing shift and David is tied up at the moment at a double 419 downtown so..."

"You were hoping I'd come down to release your scene for you."

"Would you mind?" I imagined he was actually wincing as he asked. "I told Brass I'd call Michael but he wants as many hands on this as possible."

_That's usually code for a crime scene where shit is guaranteed to hit the fan at a later date and spray everyone with incriminating possibilities. _"Should I be aware of anything before I get there?"

"Um, let's just say you might want to wear two layers of everything and leave it at that."

My heart actually started racing wildly in my chest. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the Sunset Riviera motel just behind the Wynne; it's Room 311. I already had them put your name on the list."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Ten? But it's at least-"

I snapped the phone shut and wasted no time in throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt before slinging my regulation coroner's jacket on top of everything. I was twisting my hair into a bun when I noticed Nick hovering in the doorway. I grabbed my laminated ID and clipped it onto my belt. "Duty calls."

"Be careful."

I paused just outside the door to lean back and kiss him. "I'll be back as soon as possible. I'm going to take the truck."

"What's wrong with your car?"

"It's not fast enough." _I also want a different car in case I have to return to the scene for some solo investigating. _"I love you?"

Nick rolled his eyes before he dug his keys out of pocket to hand them to me. "I love you too baby."

77777777777

A uniform let me through the door of the hotel room and I was immediately hit with the smell of death that lingered in the air. It made my stomach twist in knots and the realization that several of the suits in the room were new didn't help calm my nerves any.

"Angie!"

I looked past two cops to see Greg waving at me from the door of the bedroom.

"You weren't kidding about making it in ten minutes." He started to hand me a pair of gloves and chuckled as I raised my already gloved hands. "One of these days I'm going to be one step ahead of you."

I shrugged off my jacket and handed it to him. "You're more than welcome to keep trying Greggo. How are things with Ronnie?"

"Great! She stayed at my house last night. I mean, we didn't do anything and she slept in her clothes but we stayed up talking and-"

"Greg!" I clamped my hand down on his shoulder. "Breathe."

He inhaled then exhaled just slowly. "She's great Angela."

"I'm glad you're happy. She's a sweet girl."

"What are you two doing?" I glanced over my shoulder to see at Brass gazing between us in amusement. "In case you haven't noticed we're at a crime scene."

"Is that what this is?" I looked at Greg and winked before I readjusted my gloves. Patting him on the shoulder, I picked up my kit and entered the room. Michael was already inside hovering over the body of a young female that was lying on the bed. Greg moved past me to begin taking pictures and for a moment I was content with looking around at the scene.

"How's the new guy working out for you?"

"Fine." I answered Brass. "Ecklie wants him to shadow me and be my assistant coroner until Doc retires. I swear that man wants people to hate him."

"He's certainly good at it." Brass scratched his chin. "What do you make of this?"

I took in the large amount of blood splatter that covered the bed, the floor and the walls. "Looks li someone had a grudge against your victim." I glanced over at him. "Any clue who she is?"

"Victim's name is Elle Calloway. She's a nineteen year old student from Ohio State. She left a message on her parent's answering machine two days ago that she was coming to Vegas to elope with her boyfriend."

"Have you located the boyfriend?"

"He never left Ohio. He's the one that actually reported her missing."

I frowned. "She didn't just lie to her parents and leave familiar surroundings to come to a city like this alone."

"Maybe she believed the commercials."

"Everyone knows what happens here always follows you home and usually in the form of a disease. It's possible she was killed by whoever she came to meet here." I looked back at Calloway's body and stared at the wall opposite the doorway. "Your perp left a rather large calling card."

"The boyfriend identified those are the victim, her boyfriend, and her parents."

I studied the images that had been painted on the wall of the victim smiling back at me, her boyfriend hugging her from behind and smiling as well. Her parents were in the background and there were symbols of things that connected to Elle like her school's mascot and what looked to be a violin.

"It seems your victim was stalked and every detail of her life was carefully considered before her death. You have the makings of a serial killer on your hands." I looked over at Michael. "What did the liver temp tell you Richardson?"

"She's been dead for at least twelve hours. Blood pattern indicates this where the murder took place."

I looked down at Elle. "Your killer took their time, there are long slash marks indicating an in-depth knowledge in human anatomy. She was tortured first, possibly awake the entire time and begging the killer to let her go." I glanced back at the wall. "Your killer chose this motel because it's secluded from the main strip. If I was a gambling woman I'd say the artwork was done before the murder took place. The killer fancies his or herself something of an artist. It's not enough that the body displays what's been done but the art has to express it as well."

"How the hell do you know all of this?"

I met Brass's questioning gaze. "I watch a lot of Criminal Minds."

"What the fuck?"

"Detective Waters, mind your tone."

I turned to see Dara approaching from the doorway, her eyes fixated on the wall. I took in how her eyes widened then narrowed, her lips pressed thinly together, her attention focused nowhere else.

"Why wasn't I notified sooner about this?"

"You've been on suspension Waters; you're lucky you were call in on this at all."

I frowned and looked at Brass. "What is she talking about?"

"I'm talking about this wall!" Dara strode past me, snapping gloves onto her hands. "He's here. I can't fucking believe this." She squatted down on her haunches while she mumbled to herself and I moved forward to listen to her. "I knew he wasn't gone. I knew it."

I took a step forward to watch her surveying the body and the wall. A movement behind us had me glancing over my shoulder to see a tall, broad-shouldered blonde man standing in the doorway. He was sliding sunglasses into his jacket pocket and I caught sight of the detective's badge attached at his hip. His green eyes glanced up from watching Dara and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I turned my attention back to her. "What are you talking about Dara?"

"Back when I worked for the NOPD we have a case where bodies were found mutilated and at each scene the perp would paint a mural about the victim: boyfriends, wives, things they enjoyed, private details." Dara stood up and looked at the wall again. "He also would put one specific detail in the mural that was negative, a reason for why he killed them."

I studied the mural and watched as she stepped close to eye it as well. She ran her hand down the lines of Elle's body. "She has a needle in her hand."

Dara glanced at me with a small nod. "Track marks, inside of the left arm. She came to Vegas looking for a fix?" She frowned as she stared at the mural again. "If she was a long time user, why didn't she stay in Ohio? Why come all the way to Vegas?"

I looked back at Elle, her unseeing eyes gazing back at me. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

"Christ." She snapped the gloves roughly off her hands. "I'm gonna have to call Henderson and see if-"

"Detective Waters."

We both looked behind us at the blonde man still standing there. Dara cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes?"

"I'm Detective Miller." He placed his hands on his hips and looked around at the scene. "Our superiors told me I'd find you here."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Brass started to say something but I cut him off. "You must have the wrong Detective Waters." I smirked and jerked my head at Dara. "This one already has a partner."

"I'm afraid not. Henderson has been reassigned; he's with Wendell now."

Dara turned to stare at Brass in amazement. "This has to be a joke, you actually approved this?"

"This had nothing to do with me Waters. We were both taken by surprise on this one." He shoved his notepad into the inner pocket of his jacket. "Make the best of a bad situation Dara; that's all you can do especially if you want to be on this case. You do want this case don't you?"

"You're damn right I do; I have more right than anyone in this entire station to handle this case!"

"Then keep your nose clean and follow orders. You can gripe about Ecklie all you want when you're off the clock." Brass shifted his focus to me. "I know it's a bit early but-"

I nodded. "I could use the overtime; it's not a problem." I glanced back at Dara to see her marching past Detective Miller without a word. He smirked in amusement at her obvious disapproval of him as her new partner and slid his sunglasses back on before he turned to follow her out of the room.

"Would you like to finish processing the scene?"

I shook my head and pulled the gloves from my hands. "You're more than capable of handling this yourself Michael. I'll see you back at the morgue."

He smiled at the silent approval in my words and quickly nodded.

* * *

TBC... **REVIEW and I'll post the next chapter by Sunday.**


	5. Episode 2x05

**A/N:** A big thank you to my faithful reviewers: Simone and M (you two are the most loyal people ever, thank you!), Princess Moon Shadow(You rock!), Mma63 and StokesGirl (both of you give such a great fb), TigerTiger02, and Alexndra Khayman (where have you two been!?); you guys really keep me motivated to continue writing this. As for the rest of you, I know you're there cause I get those alert messages so PLEASE do review. I've posted five chapters now and more than 20 of you have added the story to your lists so only having 20 replies back so far is a bit daunting. Reviews help a lot and definitely give me a direction when I'm writing! They are appreciated so even if it's just one word, bring it on!

Also, if you're enjoying this; remember that some characters have been lovingly loaned to me by Simone Santos! She is writing Detective Dara Water's story (Angela makes appearances!) "Tears For Water" and it is beyond fantastic; do check it out.

Enjoy!

**Chapter Five: Remembering Ghosts  
**

I was still thinking about the Calloway case an hour later from where I sat in the break room. I swirled the stirring straw around in circles in my hot coffee, staring blankly into space as I had been for the past ten minutes. Michael was down in the morgue doing the autopsy, Dara still out in the field. She had become like a woman possessed in the past hour, focused on nothing but the latest development in her once abandoned serial killer case.

As expected, the media was on to the story like blood hounds, the title of The Artist already given to the perp. From what I had been able to find out, The Artist had terrorized New Orleans for months and had succeeded in racking up twenty known victims. Countless other women and men had gone missing but never found. Just the thought of such a talented killer hunting in my territory had my blood pumping and my heart racing. Adrenaline had me working on my third cup of coffee.

_It's exciting isn't it? The very thought of a challenge._

I continued to push any manifestations into the back of my mind as I had for past few months. I was strong enough to do this on my own but what exactly was this? Who was I dealing with? A challenge; oh yes, most definitely. Whoever the killer was, he or she had a high level of intelligence in order to escape capture and was not only methodical in nature but almost OCD in the way the crime scenes were all similar in nature and cleanliness. Someone obviously took great pride in their work. For a second I'm almost envious at the killer's ability to create so freely.

"Hey, have you seen Dara?"

I looked up to see Greg in the doorway. "She's still out in the field."

"I was going to see if she had talked to Grissom yet. It's possible the perp could be here because of her. I didn't want to bring that point up at the scene considering the load of shit she was dealing with already."

"Smart thinking." I watched him look up and down the hallway. "We both know Dara won't say anything to Grissom until she has to file paperwork. Let her worry about it."

Anything he was going to say though was lost as we both spotted Dara marching quickly past the break room. She didn't even notice us but I couldn't help but see she was heading straight for the morgue. I rose to my feet at seeing Nick come marching through the hallway and paused again at hearing Warrick's voice.

"Dara! Stop!"

I exited out of the break room and grabbed Nick's arm. "Why don't you talk to Warrick while I go after Dara?"

Nick nodded just as Warrick appeared behind us. "Okay; go on baby."

I didn't wait to see if he blocked Warrick or not. The elevator doors shut as I made my way down the hall and I gritted my teeth before turning towards the stairs. It took only a few minutes to get to the morgue by that route and I pushed through the doors.

Michael looked up from the body, his hand hovering as he pointed at something. "Ah, Angela; I was about to page you."

I eyed Dara on the opposite side of the slab. "Dara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

The annoyed tone of her voice told me otherwise but understanding the feeling of annoyance from people questioning your every move made me swallow the sarcastic reply I had planned. I moved forward to come up and stand beside the slab. "Next time you page me before you do anything else, understand?" He nodded. "Good. You can continue."

He nodded and directed attention back to Elle Calloway's body. "As I was saying, the victim's COD was eventual exstanguination due to the multiple incisions along her torso and lower abdomen. It seems the killer took his or her time-"

"His."

Michael looked briefly up at Dara. "It seems the killer took his time in killing the victim, time of death was as I estimated nearly fourteen hours ago. The tox report hasn't come back yet but I'm guessing the killer pumping the victiom full of some kind of tranquilizer was what allowed for her to stay awake and powerful enough so that clotting of her wounds was impossible. After a full autopsy, I've noted that several parts including the kidney, a lung, and the liver were removed before she was sewed back up."

"Fucking bastard." Dara swore venomously.

"Agreed." Michael nodded. He shifted the sheet. "He also removed her right arm starting at the elbow and from what I can tell he must have used a smooth blade along with a chemical agent in order to minimize blood loss."

"How can you tell?"

"The arm was removed first and by my calculations it was done at least four hours before she was killed."

I snapped gloves onto my hands. "Did they ever locate the missing parts?"

"No." Dara covered her mouth with her hand out of contemplation not sickness. She studied the young girl's face silently before lowering her hand. "This guy has killed twenty-one people that we know of in the past year alone. He's never kept parts before, why now?"

"Rotting flesh can't make a very good trophy."

I shot Michael a look as I leaned into look at the body. "Bones can." He cocked an eyebrow at me but said nothing and I directed my eyes back down at the open chest. "Our killer has a definite knowledge of anatomy so we're looking at doctors, nurses, someone with a medical license."

"Basically, we're dealing with a sick fuck." Dara growled. "I knew it was too much to pray he had died in Katrina." She stared at Elle's face. "She could have changed." She whispered. "She was still young enough to where she could have changed. He didn't have to do this to her."

"Most serial killers do things out of involuntary need. They feel as if they're going to die or ironically go nuts if they don't carry out what their brains are telling them is necessary to do." I mumbled as I checked over Michael's work. "Deficiency in thinking usually stems from being abused as a child, neglected, assaulted, you name it. Momma's little boy never fully being able to let go so he picks on those that remind her of him and never being fully able to rid himself of her, he just continues to kill."

"Maybe he just likes killing."

I shook my head at Michael's observation. "Very few people like killing." I responded. "Whoever this is, he's displacing his inadequacies and short comings onto his victims. He thinks by doing these things to them he's fixing their problems because in reality he can't fix his own, that's why he paints about their lives and always adds in their downfall. The killer knew Calloway was a user so he took parts of her body she had abused: her liver, her arm. He's sending a message that the only way these women can be fixed is by losing these things and finding death."

"You've given this a lot of thought."

I straightened and looked at Dara. "I've seen a lot of horrible things in my line of work as a coroner and despite the fact you can kill a person in various ways, the motivation isn't usually very different with each killer, especially serials. There's always a motivation, some person they feel they have to kill and unfortunately it's not something they can ever stop doing. It's like being OCD in a dirty house. Killers like your perp? They live in a dirty world and they think they're the only ones who can clean it up. Each time they come to the same conclusion that nothing can be done and yet they keep trying."

Dara motioned for Michael to finally cover the girl. "He's not going to stop until he's caught."

"Maybe that's why he's here." Michael spoke up. "He wants to be caught and he wants you to do it."

"He gets caught he's going to the electric chair and that's the last thing he wants. This man is a ruthless killing machine with no feelings or emotions. He might be here because he enjoys pathetic little games but he won't stop until there's a bullet lodged between his eyes."

I peeled the bloody gloves off my hands. "If he followed you all the way from New Orleans Dara, it means he's fixated on you. You're part of his game now and eventually you'll be a part of his work. When he's done toying with you, he'll come after you."

"Trust me, I'm ready for him."

Michael glanced between us. "Wow, first day on the job and things are already more exciting then I imagined. Is it always like this here?"

"Don't get too excited." I remarked dryly. "This guy is nothing special."

"Nothing special? He brutally mutilated and killed twenty-one girls!"

"Backed by good evidence, serial killer Harold Shipman reportedly killed over two hundred people before being captured in 1998." I tossed my gloves into the waste basket. "That's special, this guy? He's attacking defenseless women in some attempt to get back at Mommy. That's pathetic."

"I couldn't agree more." Dara reached out to clasp my shoulder and she squeezed before letting go. "Thank you." She released my shoulder. "I need to go but keep me updated on anything, especially the tox report when it comes in."

Michael nodded. "Of course." He smiled. "You'll be the first to know."

With a nod, Dara left the morgue and after a second's debate I made up my mind. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I pushed past the morgue doors. "Dara-" I stopped short at the sight of her already talking to Warrick, Nick right behind him. I shot Nick a look and he shrugged helplessly, inching slowly around them to come towards me.

"I told him to take a time out but that suggestion sank faster than a lead balloon."

"That's just great." I watched Warrick talk to Dara in a low tone, his hands finding her arms. "Come on into the morgue, let's give them some privacy."

Nick held the door open for me before he entered the morgue. "Hey Michael, how's it going?"

"Hey Nick! I'm just great, thank you. What brings you to our morgue?"

"Just thought I'd swing by to check up on you guys and see my fiancé before I went out." Nick eyed the slab beside Michael. "Poor girl."

Michael nodded slowly looking down at the sheet covered woman. "Definitely a tragedy. It's always sad to see someone fade before their prime."

"Sometimes I really hate this job."

"Don't we all?"

"I don't." I raised my eyebrows as they looked at me. "What? I mean, sure it's sad. I feel bad for victim, it's unfortunate but I enjoy my job. I'm not trying to make light of the situation, I just love what I do."

Nick glanced at Michael. "You'll have to ignore Angela at times. She's a big fan of the brutal honesty method and lets her mouth run away with her."

I glared at him as Michael chuckled. "A dedicated woman in this profession is a very rare find. You're a lucky man Nick."

My body relaxed as Nick smiled brightly and looked at me with obvious love in his eyes. "I know." His gaze dropped. "Where's your ring?"

"Damn it." I patted my jeans. "Ah, here." I slid it on. "There, happy?"

The morgue door swung open again interrupting us but instead of Dara or Warrick, the blonde detective from earlier appeared in the doorway. He stuck his sunglasses on the top of his head and clapped his hands, rubbing them together as he approached us. "What'd I miss?"

_Developing a brain in the womb it seems. _I crossed my arms casually over my chest. "I'm pretty sure your partner can fill you in on any details you feel your privy to Detective Miller."

"You two have met already?" Nick glanced between us. "I met Edward when he came in earlier. Turns out he's from Texas; imagine that?" He smiled over at Edward. "Dallas right?"

"Right." He grinned widely and studied me. "You must be Angela."

I looked over at Nick in amazement. "Have you they started handing out a staff pamphlet that I'm not receiving or do you just feel it necessary to tell everyone you meet your entire life story?"

"I don't see any reason not to be friendly with new personnel! Look, I gotta run." It looked like he wanted to kiss me but I snorted and stepped around the slab, placing it between us. Nick chuckled at the obvious move. "I'll catch up with you later."

I looked directly at Detective Miller as Nick disappeared into the hallway, the door closing shut behind him. A minute later Dara entered and Warrick was no longer with her.

"Let's go Miller."

"Shouldn't you be heading home?" I asked. "You've been running full steam since two o'clock."

"So have you." She shot back. "Shouldn't you be heading home?"

"If I say yes, will you tuck me into bed?"

Catching sight of my smirk, Dara actually chuckled and flipped me off playfully. "Let's go Miller."

"But I-"

"You either come with me or I'll find some paperwork you can do." Winking at me, she turned and strode back into the hallway. Detective Miller had no choice but to follow, throwing a look at the covered body of Elle Calloway before he disappeared after her.

"Hey, have you ever-"

I knew where Michael was going with the question and glared at him. "No."

"Not even in college?"

"Oh shut up." I slapped him harmlessly on the arm and grabbed the folder with the contents of Calloway case. "I'll run this up to Grissom."

"What do you want me to do?"

I pointed at the coffee pot.

777777777777777

Hours later and with no cases to do, I tapped my pen against the table repeatedly and stared at the clock.

"Will you stop doing that?"

I glanced over at Michael. "Stop doing what?"

He smirked and pointed at the pen. "You've been beating that desk with your pen for the past thirty minutes. I know things are slow but it's not that bad right?"

_It's the worst I've ever experienced, having to wait like this. _"I'm bored, we're caught up and it's not even one o'clock yet." I sighed. "I'm really bored."

"You should think of somewhere special for Nick to take you for your birthday on Friday."

I rose from the chair, the pen clutched in my hand. "How do you know about that?"

Michael's eyes didn't move from mine. "If you want a secret kept, you really shouldn't tell Hodges."

"I didn't tell Hodges."

"Nick told Greg who told it to Hodges who told it to me. It's a vicious cycle really."

I rolled my eyes and stuck the pen into my lab coat pocket. "I told Nick not to worry about my birthday. I never celebrate it anyway." I looked around the morgue. "There has to be something I can do around here besides stab you."

Michael chuckled. "We could-" He paused as the morgue door opened and Detective Henderson appeared. "Hello Detective."

"Hey. There was a 419 on the strip and-"

"I'll go." Michael beat me to it and I glared at him. He smiled and grabbed the coffee pot. "You can fill this up."

Rolling my eyes, I snatched it from him and nodded at Henderson. "Michael will go with you if you think him capable of accepting such a mission."

"He'll do." Henderson chuckled, smiling at me. "Hey Wilkins, you dump your fiancé for me yet?"

"Now why would I do something as foolish as that?"

He pressed his hand against his chest. "You wound me."

"You'll live. Besides," I smiled thinly at him, "I'm not the one you've been eying lately now am I?"

"Who says I'm eying just one person? I'm a ladies man, haven't you heard?"

I chuckled and pushed Calloway's body towards a cabinet to enclose it. "Know what else I've heard? Women aren't attracted to gonorrhea."

"I don't have gonorrhea and I think you should find a nice way to apologize to me for such a remark." Henderson opened the door as Michael gathered his coat and kit. "I can cook a mean Italian pasta; a little candle light and some music at my place, you'd like it."

"Food poisoning on top of already being nauseated?" I teased. "No thank you."

"You'll change your mind; they all do."

"Persistent stalking has a way of wearing women down."

"When you're good, you're good." He winked at me and the door swung shut behind them.

Almost immediately the smile dropped from my face. I walked over to uncover Elle Calloway's face and stared down at her a few minutes in silence. I blinked quickly to focus on her and not the images of Nicole that popped into my mind. With a frown, I covered her back up, slid her body into a cabinet and shut the door.


	6. Episode 2x06

**Chapter Six: A Series of Unfortunate Events**

The sun was barely beginning to rise as I pulled into the driveway. I opened the front door and smiled at the sight of Nick sprawled out asleep on the couch, our dog Fuddles cradled in the crook of his arm. I shut the door and shrugged off my jacket. "Baby…"

Nick opened his eyes slowly and saw me hovering over him. "Hey." He reached up to stroke the side of my face. "I didn't even hear you come in."

_I can be very quiet when I need to be; it comes in handy in my line of work. _"Let's go to bed."

"I've got a better idea." He lowered Fuddles onto the floor and grabbed my wrist. "Come here." I willingly let him pull me onto the couch with him and sighed as he wrapped his arms around me. I closed my eyes as he stroked my skin, his right hand pressing on the small of my back. "Everything go okay at work?"

"Ecklie was riding my ass all day about this supposed serial killer but other than that, it was fine."

"You're not the only one he's bothering lately." Nick sighed and pressed his lips against my temple. "I think Dara's receiving the worst of it due to her connection with The Artist and because of Warrick. I'm worried about them."

I raised my head to prop my chin on his chest. "Why?"

"Warrick comes back from suspension in two days and Ecklie's still looking for a reason to fire him. I'd hate to see Dara distracted by all of this when there's such a big case going on; this Artist perp is bad news Angela. While this investigation is underway, I don't want you going anywhere by yourself. Greg already said he would try to assist you on any case outside of the morgue when he could."

I smiled and reached out to brush my fingers across his lips. "Don't take this the wrong way and you know I adore Greg but I doubt he'd do much damage if we were attacked." I chuckled as he bit the tip of my index finger. "Maybe I'll see if one of the available detectives can tag along with me instead; you know, make it worth my time. Henderson might do it."

"Don't joke about things like that Woman."

"I'll be fine, I promise." I inched forward to kiss him before leaning back to study his face. I smiled as I easily recognized the concern that lingered there. "You're worrying too much Nicky."

"I love you, it comes with the territory." Nick stroked his hands over my hair. "Baby, about earlier…"

I kept my eyes on his and tried to maintain a relaxed position against him.

"I know it seems I'm forcing the subject on you but… but having a family with you is… well, it's everything I could ever ask for and more. Just the idea of having a little girl that looks like you, well… It would complete our family and make me the happiest man on Earth."

"Nicky…"

"I want to marry you Angela and I want to have children with you. I know you're scared and you've had reasons in the past to be unsure but it's me baby, it's me." He stroked his hands up and down my arms. "I love you and I swear I'll always take care of you."

I smiled and pressed my lips against his again. "I know you mean that." I whispered. "But right now I think there are other things we need to worry about besides having children. When the time is right, we'll discuss it again."

"Promise?"

I nodded even if I really didn't want to do so. "I promise." I kissed him again, nibbling playfully at his bottom lip. "Don't you want to go to bed?"

"Can I ask you something else?"

I paused to reposition myself, my legs wrapping around his waist, and he sat up along with me. "Of course."

"I'm worried about Warrick; I don't think he's dealing with this Gedda situation all that well. Has he said anything to you?"

"Why would he? We hardly get along as it is."

"So he hasn't?" Nick kept his eyes on mine. "Because Wendy told me she saw the two of you leaving the station together recently."

_Fucking nosy lab rats. _"So suddenly I can't leave a building at the same time as someone without ending up a suspect?"

"If he's said something to you, you can tell me."

"If Warrick wanted you involved, he'd talk to you Nick." I shifted off his lap with a sigh. "I don't know anything."

Nick stood up as well, his hands on his hips. "You know you can't tell him information related to the Gedda case baby; that'll get both of you written up or even fired!"

"Okay, look, we went to lunch and I tried to talk him out of doing anything insane, that's it. I'm fully aware of what it means to sign a confidentiality agreement. Do you honestly think I'd risk my job all because of Warrick's sudden obsession?"

"Obsession? What are you talking about?"

"It's beyond obvious that Warrick isn't going to stop until Gedda is behind bars. He's become obsessed with the man; I wouldn't be surprised if he even goes so far as to hire a PI to do his dirty work for him."

"Maybe I should go talk to him. Grissom would-"

"You need to stay out of this Nick. Don't let Warrick drag you down with him."

"How can you even say that? He's my friend!"

"It doesn't change the fact that he's spiraling out of control and if you try to help him, you're only going to end tangled up in his coattails."

Nick ran his hands over his short hair. "What if this was me? What if I was in his situation and asking you for your help?"

"Don't try to twist this. You know deep down I'm right."

"All I know is that he's my friend and he won't talk to me." Slowly he sat back down on the couch. "First it was gambling then it was alcohol and prescription drugs, now he's being framed for murder and obsessing over cases he can't let go of. What happened to him?"

I sat down and took his hand in mine. "Underneath that rough exterior is a sweet guy who just connected to the wrong person at the wrong time." I whispered. "What he needs is for someone to redirect him before it's too late."

"How can I do that when he won't even listen to me?"

"I don't know the answer to that." I replied softly. "But you can start by going to someone that he does listen to like Dara."

Nick's eyes found mine. "You think so?"

I nodded. "And I'm pretty sure if you called her right now she'd answer." I leaned in to kiss his cheek and stood up. "She might even be available to go to breakfast with you so you two can talk." I ran my hand over his head. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"I think I might take your advice."

I knew he would say that. I nodded and bent to kiss him again. "Be careful."

Nick caught my hand and tugged me down so he could control the kiss. "I love you."

"I know." I stroked the side of his face and smiled. "I love you too."

I stood there and watched him gather his jacket and gun before he stepped through our door. It shut behind him but I didn't move. _Underneath that rough exterior is a sweet guy who just connected to the wrong person at the wrong time. Sounds familiar doesn't it?_

666666666666666

Two days later at work I was roaming around the main floor of the station with a coffee cup in my right hand and a stirrer stuck into the corner of my mouth. Looking around, I approached Dara's unsurprisingly empty desk and eyed the neat stack of folders there.

Grissom had given her several cold cases to work on in her spare time and I knew somewhere in the midst was the Rawlins file. Just thinking about the family made memories flash before my eyes; Clarissa. Clarissa was gone. She wasn't coming back and now someone else had taken her place.

I stared down at the file on top, eyes narrowing at the sight of Andy Walker's name. I reached out to grab the file but underneath another name caught my attention, Clarissa Holland. Next was her sister's file and under that was...

"Angela?" I looked up to see Dara looking very confused as she glanced between me and the folders. "What are you doing?"

I grabbed the last file and thrust it into her face. "What is this?"

"I can explain..."

"Why do you have my brother's file?"

"Angela..."

"Answer the damn question Detective Waters!" The volume of my voice had everyone looking at us. "I thought I told you months ago to stop sticking your nose into my personal life."

I watched as she shifted uncomfortably and ignored the urge to look around at the officers and personnel staff now watching us. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Greg and Ronnie in the doorway, behind them Dara's new partner, Detective Miller appearing.

"Before The Artist reappeared I was investigating cold cases. I found a connection between Rita Holland and the Rawlins family that I haven't had the chance to follow up on yet but I think that Rita's sister Clarissa may have come to Vegas and-"

I slammed the folder down onto the desk. "I like you Dara, you're a good cop and a nice person but I'm warning you, leave my brother out of this."

"I just want to solve the cases Angela. Those families deserve to know what happened to their loved ones. If it can help your brother's case with catching-"

"I won't tell you again. I catch you sniffing around me or my family after today I'll make you regret it."

"Angela, that's enough." Grissom spoke up. "Everyone get back to work. Dara, you need to get to that 419 and Angela, there's a job for you in the morgue."

"You sure you don't want to reprimand me first or ask about my feelings?"

Grissom frowned at me as several people in the room chuckled and several of the detectives whistled. "I said that's enough. Go back to the morgue."

I shot Dara another look and almost felt bad at the hurt and confusion lingering on her face. Without another word I grabbed my coffee cup and moved away from her desk.

"Angel..."

"Not now Greg." I pushed past him but not before catching sight of Detective Miller staring at me. "What are you looking at? You want a piece of me too?" He didn't say anything, just looked at me, and with a snort, I strode towards the elevators.

666666666666666

Hours later, I was still too worked up to do the autopsy so I lingered in the background as Michael worked on the heart attack victim. I couldn't help but notice the precision in his movements and found myself actually soothed by the methodical way he worked. "You're not bad," I spoke up, "for a rookie."

Michael smiled, looking up at me momentarily. "Thanks Angela. It might sound twisted but since I was a little boy all I've wanted to do was be a coroner. Every one of my brothers wanted to be cops or firemen but not me, this was it." He looked back down to begin sewing the man back together. "What about you?"

I debated for a second before I decided to go with honesty. "I wanted to be a Princess."

Michael chuckled. "So what made you choose this profession?"

"I graduated from Cornell University with a Masters Degree in both Forensic Medicine and Psychology. I participated in the nursing program for a while before I changed to the doctor program and in my senior year I decided to become a coroner." I grabbed my water bottle and twisted off the cap.

"What was the motivation? People don't just wake up and decided to cut up bodies for a living."

"You're right, they don't."

He stopped sewing to the cut the wire and looked up. "Who did you lose?"

I kept my eyes on his and sipped from the bottle. "What makes you think I lost someone?"

"This isn't exactly a job for someone who enjoys the healthy dosage of butterflies and rainbows. It takes a special kind of person, someone who has touched darkness and survived to be able to handle what this job entails." He looked away. "I think I'm finished. I'll clean up and then-"

"My brother." Michael stopped from gathering the cutting tools and I took another sip from my bottle. I kept my eyes glued to the clock on the wall, unsure of why I was telling him anything but suddenly I couldn't stop the words from coming out. "My brother was murdered and it changed me." I cleared my throat. "It changed what mattered in my life."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I hate that word, sorry. What do you have to be sorry about? You didn't kill him." I tightened my grip on my bottle. "I don't even know why I told you anything."

"What matters is that you did and I say I'm sorry because I know what it feels like to lose a loved one. I truly am sorry for your loss." He shrugged and placed the tools into the cleaner next to the slab. "My father was murdered when I was a teenager during a carjacking gone wrong."

"Did they catch the guy?"

"Eventually."

"Good." I cleared my throat. "So what's your excuse?" I finally brought my eyes back to his. "Like you said, you don't just wake up and want to be a coroner."

"I've always been interested in the human anatomy. I enjoy taking things apart to see how they work, you know?"

I kept my eyes on his and nodded. "I understand."

"There's nothing like taking someone apart piece by piece and then sewing them back together."

I found myself nodding again.

"The blood has never bothered me either." He shrugged. "I've seen horrible things, things most people can't even describe and I've never had the urge to vomit. This job is perfect for me and I enjoy every second of it."

_Imagine that. _"I couldn't agree more." A red flag came up in my mind as I stared at him but I wanted to push it away just as quickly as it appeared. He seemed so innocent, that slightly cubby face, gentle smile and large brown eyes. "You did a good job today Michael."

He flashed those straight teeth at me in a satisfied smile. "Thanks. Hey, why don't we go get some fresh coffee and something to eat? I'm starving after all this work."

I capped my water bottle and tossed it onto the desk. "People used to tell me I was messed up when I would say things like that, especially after an autopsy."

"It's unfortunate that some people will never understand us."

I watched as he snapped off his gloves and moved to clean up. "Yes, very unfortunate indeed."

**TBC!**


	7. Episode 2x07

**A/N: **_As I must do every now and then, I am making NO money off of this and the characters of CSI do not belong to me, Poo! Enjoy, I edited this as did a friend of mine so if there are any errors, well, we must have been asleep! THANK YOU again for all of the reviews. KEEP EM COMING!_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Put On a Happy Face**

People were looking at me, some of them whispering as we passed them in the hall but I ignored them. It wasn't hard. I had ignored them for years before this. It didn't matter that they were seeing me differently yet again, some of them acting as if they had been right that my cold exterior was actually the real one and not some facade Nick had managed to see past.

"Screw them."

I glanced over at Michael as we entered the break room, thankfully it was empty, and accepted the coffee cup he extended to me. "I'd rather not."

He chuckled and grabbed the full coffee pot to pour coffee into my cup then his. "You know what I mean. If they're going to be rude, to Hell with them, you don't need them Angela."

"I'm not bothered by the fact some of them are staring or even whispering." I grabbed two sugars and dumped them into my coffee. "That stuff doesn't matter to me. I just..."

"You just what?"

I cleared my throat. "I just regret being rude to Dara earlier. I snapped at her and I shouldn't have."

"I'm sure everything's fine." Michael stirred his coffee. "She's a very understanding woman."

"She's dating Warrick so I guess you're right." We ventured over to an empty table together. "I tried to warn her but she's hard-headed so…" I shrugged as I sat down, Michael sitting across from me. "With what I gathered from her background, she deserves to be happy."

"We all deserve to be happy."

"What about you, do you have a girlfriend back in Atlanta crying over you?"

"No girlfriend." He circled the top of his cup with his index finger. "What about you? How long have you and Nick been seeing each other?"

"Almost a year and a half now." I have to admit that it took a lot of persuasion on his part to even get the first date. I wasn't really interested in dating."

"What changed your mind?"

"There's no simple answer for that but Nick coming into my life changed everything." I sipped at my coffee and looked away. "He changed what I had become after Andy died."

Michael's eyes stayed locked on my face. "What had you become Angela?"

"I was different, that's all."

"Well if it helps, I think you're great."

"It doesn't so stop trying to kiss my ass before I stab you." I studied him closely as he laughed and contemplated different ways to flush out information from him. I felt like he was hiding something but what I couldn't quite put my finger on at the moment. "I'm starting to think all coroners have to be a little unbalanced to do their jobs. I guess we're just a moody bunch of assholes."

Michael laughed again. "You might be right about that."

"Angela."

I looked over to the doorway to see Grissom. I half-expected to hear a lecture about my previous behavior. "Yes?"

"There's a 419 at Luxor Hotel that I need you to go directly process; they think it might have to do with The Artist." He looked over at Michael. "Michael, we're shorthanded tonight so I'm going to need you at another scene."

We both nodded, moving to throw away our cups and minutes later, I was pulling into traffic. It only took me twenty minutes to get to the scene and I made my way quickly up to the room, kit in hand.

Reaching the fifth floor, I nodded at the officer who nodded back and held up the tape for me so I could enter the room. I spotted Greg already dusting for prints. He looked up and smiled softly, almost hesitantly, as our eyes met. I smiled back and waved before continuing towards the bedroom. My stomach clenched because I knew what I would find as soon as I crossed the threshold yet at the same time endless possibilities awaited me.

Captain Brass stood in the open doorway. "Looks like we found another one."

I stared at the huge mural on the wall. "Looks like it." My eyes flicked to the victim positioned on the bed, her arms and legs spread as if she had been attempting to make snow angels in the expensive silk sheets.

"Victim's name is Janice Franklin. The maid came in and found her like this."

"How old is she?"

"She turned twenty one yesterday."

I slid my eyes to Warrick who had answered as he appeared from the bathroom connected to the room. If he seemed uncomfortable to be around me, he gave no indication of it. I nodded and readjusted the grip on my kit. "I'm going to need the room. Give me five minutes and I'll release the scene to you."

"Take your time Angie."

I refused to look at him again and carefully move towards the bed. I lowered my kit and quickly snapped on gloves, taking out my thermometer before directing my attention back to the bed. The young brunette's eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling and I couldn't help but glance up. I frowned at the 

sight of the image of the victim that had been professionally painted there, the victim's mouth open as if a soundless, never-ending scream.

The mural above the headboard was just of the victim as well, lying naked but covered in black rose petals. I stared at it for several seconds, the thermometer hovering in the air. In the painting, Janice's arms and legs were positioned the same way but her hands and feet were nailed down like Jesus Christ's. I couldn't help but notice however that her legs were bent, knees facing out.

A shadow blocked the light that had been streaming from the window behind me. "You're in my light."

Whoever it was moved and I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the rays of light again. "Better?"

I shot Detective Miller a look from over my shoulder before I turned my attention went back to Janice. I took her liver temperature. "Where is Dara?"

"She was right behind me a second ago. What's the TOD?"

The thermometer beeped. "Less than six hours." I checked her body for injuries. "Cigarette burns in her hands and feet, lower abdomen has been opened before being sewed shut." I moved past him to shift up the sheet covering the victim's pelvis and immediately lowered it back down. "Genitalia have been removed."

"Everything? You're sure?"

I looked back at the mural, eyes lingering on the fact that the roses covering Janice's pelvis area were a slightly darker, almost red color than the rest of the petals. "Reproductive system has been removed as well as..." I cleared my throat. "There's nothing but a hole Detective."

"I see." He stared at the body. "Does this not bother you?"

"No." I answered plainly before standing up. "I see it doesn't bother you all that much either." Holding the thermometer loosely in my hand, I studied him. "Where did you say you were from again?"

He grinned at me. "I didn't. But Nick told you I was originally from Texas."

"Originally?"

"I moved around a lot growing up." Edward looked down at the victim. "Got anything you can tell me from the details of the scene? I hear you have a knack for doing that sort of thing off the bat."

"I'm not going to be able to give you any information until I've looked at the last victim's full report and finished this one." I spotted Dara coming and bent to clean my tools before shoving them into my kit. I rose again and nodded at her. "Dara."

She seemed a bit stiff and I blamed it on the situation as much as I blamed myself. "Angela." She looked down at the covered body and I didn't move to stop her as she lifted up the sheet only to immediately drop it. "Son of a bitch."

Edward moved to the other side to look around I kept my gaze on Dara's face. "I've got time of death at six hours ago. As I was telling Detective Miller, the killer has removed all genitalia from the victim and removed it from the premises. I'll have to do a full autopsy report to be able to give you a full report on the extent of her injuries." I snapped my kit and eyed Warrick as he lingered in the background. "How is Warrick doing?"

"You actually care?"

I blinked slowly and tightened the grip on my kit. "Depends on the day I suppose."

"He's fine." Dara avoided eye contact with me and reached into her jacket to retrieve her gloves. "Have you released the scene?"

"She's all yours." I stood still as she passed me, talking low under her breath to Edward who spoke back just as softly. Clearing my throat, I made my way from the room and was halfway down the hallway when I heard someone calling my name. I turned to see Warrick and slowed my steps.

He slipped his camera strap over his head as he came to a stop in front of me. "Hey."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Um, hi."

"Look, Dara told me you two had a fight. Well, she said you got upset with her over a cold case that involved-"

"My brother isn't involved in any case Dara's working on and I don't like it when people dig through my personal background; that's why I was upset." I readjusted the grip on my kit. "Is that all?"

Warrick stared at me and I knew he was seeing more than just the mask I was trying to reapply. "Can we maybe meet up and talk later?"

"Talk about what?"

"You know, things; I feel like we left on an awkward note last time and-"

"Oh you mean the awkward note where you kissed me?" I cut in. "That awkward note?"

Warrick hesitated but nodded. "But we both know that it was an accident."

"Accident or not, it's just not a good idea for the two of us to keep meeting outside of work to discuss…" I waved my hand around. "…whatever it is you want to discuss. I really do need to get back to the morgue."

"Please meet me at Rita's after work."

"I-"

Someone cleared their throat and my head snapped towards the doorway to see Greg standing there. I ignored his gaze and watched as his eyes lingered on Warrick in that glaring way that made me realize he had heard a good chunk of our conversation.

"Dara needs you in here taking some pictures Warrick."

"One minute Greg."

"Now." His tone came out firmer than I was used to hearing it. "We need to get the body to the morgue as soon as possible so we can process the scene."

Warrick glared at him but nodded. "Alright, I'm coming." He looked at me but I merely turned and began down the hall again.

**777777777777777777**

Michael looked up from what he was writing the second I came walking through the morgue doors. He didn't say anything and I suppose it was because at the moment I looked like I was about to turn into the Hulk. I was tempted to throw something but calmed myself; the surge of emotion so unlike me that I almost felt faint.

I sat down my kit and pulled off my jacket. "How did your case go?"

"It turned out the dead body in the attic was actually dead birds."

I smirked and sat down on the rolling stool by the counter, amusing myself back into a calm state by swiveling around a couple times. I stopped with a jerk at noticing the envelope and grabbed for it. I saw the return address was from Los Angeles and immediately knew it was from my stepsister Temperance. I opened up the envelope to find a birthday card inside but what truly delighted me was the picture inside that had been obviously drawn by her young son Nathaniel.

"Whoa."

"I know." I studied the picture he had drawn of what was a stick figure me holding up a long knife that had what looked to be blood on it, a body lying at my feet. Nate had scribbled on it and I smiled at the tiny words scattered all over the page. He thought I was a super hero. _Faster than a speeding bullet, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's little ol' me. _"It's…"

"Very cool." Michael chuckled. "That is one kick ass drawing."

I nodded. "I'm gonna frame it."

"Good idea."

"You think?" I eyed him as he nodded. _Well, you just keep getting more and more interesting don't you Michael Richardson? _"I agree." I looked back down at the picture. _There's a strong streak of good in you, Superman. But then nobody's perfect... almost nobody._

**7777777777777777**

I came back from using the restroom to find Dara and Michael talking over Janice Franklin's body. I came to a stand and watched as Dara straightened and made the move to take off her gloves. "Don't." I came forward. "You're going to need them if you want to touch the body."

"Are you sure?"

I managed a small smile. "I know the rules in my morgue."

Dara readjusted the gloves, a soft smile on her face as well. "Yes ma'am." She cleared her throat. "Michael was going to examine the body before taking it to the washing station."

"I want to handle this one myself Michael." I grabbed gloves and slid them on, snapping the material down at my wrist. "You can go take a lunch now."

He frowned at me but slowly nodded. "Sure thing Boss. Can I bring you back anything?"

I shook my head. "No, thank you. Take as long as you need." I fixed my attention on the body as Michael tossed his gloves into the contamination bin and left the room. "Aren't you supposed to be at a desk somewhere doodling?"

Dara chuckled dryly. "Everyone's content with their coffee for the time being. Grissom told me to take off earlier so I clocked out and came down here to see if I could help."

I looked up with raised eyebrows. "I don't think this is what Grissom means by taking off early but who am I to argue with going against The Man?" I looked back down, examining Janice's arms for any detail.

"Can we... Can we talk for just a second about what happened the other day?"

I looked up again and after a second, I straightened up to my full height. "If you're expecting an apology..."

"I shouldn't have blindsided you like I did and for that I'm sorry." Dara interrupted. "Ecklie thrust all these cold cases; he didn't really give me much choice, not like he ever does. I started following up on the Rawlins case and found that the brother used to work for a hospital where Clarissa Holland used to be a patient. I dug a little more and found out that Clarissa has gone missing..."

I directed my attention back to the body. "Small world."

"I didn't mean to pry into your business and I know how difficult it is to have to deal with losing someone you love. I should have come to you and told you what was going on but by the time all the files had been delivered to my desk, but then The Artist killed Elle Calloway and I lost sight of everything else."

"Possibly being stalked by an egotistical manic will have that effect on you." I shifted to grab my glasses from my front pocket and slid them on. "Help me put her body on the washing table please."

Dara nodded and together we shifted Janice's body onto the table. I motioned at the camera behind her. "Document while I get started."

I waited until she snapped a few pictures before I turned on the water and began to spray the blood from the body. The camera flashed repeatedly. I shut off the water and pointed at the tattoo on the inside of Janice's left wrist.

Dara rotated the arm. "It's Latin with what looks like a tree made of rose petals?" She looked up. "They're black and some of them are falling to the ground. I don't have a clue what it says."

"It says I am the tree that bears no fruit."

Dara frowned. "Since her..." She cleared her throat. "We'll have to check her records and see if she ever had a child." She looked down at Janice's face. "Greg told me she used to work at a men's club on the strip called Candy Town before she quit one day and starting hooking."

"Talk about a career downgrade."

"You're telling me. Prostitution might be legal in Vegas but that doesn't mean it should be."

"She just turned twenty one. I don't want to think about how old she was when she started dancing."

We fell into silence as I began to wash and clean the body again, my gaze focused on nothing but the task at hand. Blood repeatedly swirled down the drain until finally running clear. Dara took pictures and helped scrub the body.

I shut off the water and began to look closely at the body again for anything else that could be useful or tell me something before I started to cut into her. Sometimes the most obvious things were directly on the surface. The tattoo was definitely an indication as to why she had been murdered judging by the emphasis given to the roses on the mural.

"When I was twelve, my brother Andy and I were playing together in our backyard when we disturbed some birds that were nesting. They immediately attacked us to protect their young and without even thinking I threw myself on top of him so they couldn't get to him. Their claws were so sharp I ended up with scratches all over my body and I had to go to the hospital for shots."

"How old was your brother?"

"He had just turned nine." I kept looking at the body. "Man, Andy cried and he cried and he begged me to forgive him and you know what my parents told him, they told him that I was just doing my job, that as his older sister it was my job to protect him."

Dara sat down the camera on the back counter but I ignored the urge to look up at her. To be honest with myself I was hiding from the look of pity I imagined was on her face.

"I swore to him that no matter what I would be there for him and I would protect him." I jammed the sprayer back into its spot with force. "Andy never liked Dylan but my parents loved him. He was 

perfect, from a good family, was educated, really charming, but Andy saw through that. He told me over and over that I was making a mistake but when you're in love, how is that possible?"

"It's very hard to listen to outside opinion when you think you're in love Angela."

I finally met her eyes. "Two days before he died, he told me that it was his job to protect me now and that he was going to force Dylan to leave me alone. He was certain it was a mistake for me to marry him but I wouldn't listen. I told him if he even tried, I'd never speak to him again. Dylan loved me. Why would he ever try to hurt me?" I let out a harsh laugh. "We see how much he loved me didn't we?"

"You couldn't have known Angela. You're blaming yourself for something that was out of your control."

"I should have known. I should have trusted Andy. I should have trusted my own brother." I stepped away from the table. "It wasn't until they arrested him that I even knew he had killed someone else while on the run."

"The report said he disappeared while he was on bail."

I blinked. "That's right."

"You never once feared he'd come back for you?"

"No."

"You sound so confident about that."

"I was confident because I knew for a fact he wasn't going to come back." I answered. "I took precautions to make sure."

Dara frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I moved on with my life, that's how." I motioned at the body. "We need to move her back on the slab please."

Still slightly frowning, Dara nodded and helped me with the body. She followed me as I wheeled Janice back into the main part of the morgue.

"I don't like talking about how Andy died." I started to gather my cutting tools. "I don't like people asking about him. I don't like people trying to help me cope. I've coped. I've mourned and I've moved on." I cleared my throat. "I did what was necessary to carry on but sometimes even my emotions get the best of me and for that I apologize. You're only trying to do your job and making a scene was not only unlike me but uncalled for as well."

Without a word, Dara extended her hand and I shook it. I released her hand and turned to grab the tox report that had come in from the lab. "It looks like our killer enjoys using a chemical agent called Curare; it paralyzes the victim so they can't move or speak but doesn't knock them unconscious." I looked over at Janice's body. "Instinct wants me to assume we're looking at a woman that's had an 

abortion, maybe two; and maybe a miscarriage. It would explain why based on the mural and missing body parts why the killer targeted her."

Dara nodded and accepted the file from me. "I always believed he targeted young women that he felt were sinning in some way or another."

"He sees them as lost causes so he takes what they abuse." I thought out loud. With a frown I covered Janice's entire body with a sheet. "Don't worry Dara; you're going to nail this guy I just know it."

"You're right; I am." She nodded again quickly. "And I'm gonna do it with a smile on my face."

* * *

**TBC... six reviews and I'll update again in two/three days!**


	8. Episode 2x08

**A/N: **_I apologize for the delay in posting this. I took my last two tests ever this week and am now a college graduate as long as my final grades come in okay! Thank you for the quick reviews. Enjoy._

**Chapter Eight: Would You Like to Do the Honors?**

Sitting at Rita's I tapped my fingers against the table and wondered exactly what I was doing there. On the table beside my hand my phone vibrated again and again I ignored it. My mother had been calling for several hours. I wasn't in the mood to talk to her.

I knew how the conversation would go; she'd start out how she was calling to see how I was, comment that I was soon to be a year older, and suddenly the conversation would spiral out of control until I was wrong to leave them when they needed me the most and how running away was never going to bring Andy back. There was no way I could tell her I wasn't running from the memories; I was running in order to keep up with the reason behind why I remembered any memory at all.

The door to the diner opened and I looked up to see Warrick. I signaled Eva as he approached the booth and she nodded, coming over a few minutes later with two cups of coffee and a menu for him.

"You're not eating?"

I shook my head and dumped a truckload of sugar into my coffee. "I'm not hungry." I stirred the contents quickly. "What did you tell Dara?"

"I told her we had some things to discuss."

"You what?"

Warrick flipped open the menu with a flick of his wrist. "I had to tell her something; Greg ran his damn mouth today and she was asking me all these questions. Nick came over last night to talk so she thinks you're just checking up to make sure he did. Trust me, she'll leave it alone."

"Knowing the kind of woman Dara is I find that very hard to believe."

"And what kind is that exactly?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "The kind that doesn't give up very easily." I snorted into my coffee cup as I sipped at the hot liquid. "No need to get riled up Warrick; it's just an observation."

"You let me worry about Dara, Angela."

I lowered my cup back to the table. "You should be worrying about yourself. Dara can hold her own." I toyed with the knife on the table and watched as it spun in slow circles. "Lou Gedda is a big problem for you and we both know he's not going to just go away."

"That's why I need help making sure he does."

"What have you done? I can only hope you've given up stalking the man yourself especially with IA and Ecklie breathing down your neck."

"I hired an investigator to dig up some dirt and tail him."

"Men like Gedda cover their tracks pretty well." I sipped at my coffee. "And if they can't they have people do it for them. You have considered the possibility that Gedda might have someone in his pocket right?"

"You mean like a cop?"

"Why not? This is Vegas; times might change but the city never does."

Warrick rubbed at his jaw. "There was the evidence a few months back that we had a mole in the department but nothing ever came of it." He sighed. "If that's true then anyone could be a suspect. Any move we made could go directly back to Gedda."

"We?" I snorted and shook my head. The possibility of a mole had always lingered in the back of my mind but I had always pushed it aside for my own selfish reasons. I wasn't the model citizen; what did I care what happened as long as they kept their nose out of my business? I didn't like killing unless I felt it justified but if I felt cornered I would do whatever it took to protect my own investments.

"I told you I-"

"I'm not going to involve myself in this; I can't for reasons I'm not going into at the moment." _Or ever. _"Besides, what can I possibly do to help you?"

"We both know if you needed to get information from anyone in the department you could do it Angela. Everyone trusts you."

_Mistake number two; the first was hiring me in the first place. _"Information?"

"You could help me with a list of Gedda's known associates and any that were arrested prior to or during our investigation. I need names, places where they can be found, anything that could create a trail back to him and the murders but I can't get to the information anymore."

"This is bordering on incriminating obsession Warrick."

"I don't care what it looks like; I need it done."

"You need to watch your back and let this go. How many times do I have to tell you that?" I took another sip of coffee before shoving to the side and leaning in towards him. "This is the part in the Hollywood film where you ignore me, go off half-cocked and end up either dead or framed for another murder. Quit fucking playing around with this and just go home Warrick."

He slammed the menu shut and shoved it clean off the table. "I can't fucking do that, don't you get it? I got a fucking girl killed." He slammed his first on the table. "A girl is dead because of me and you want me to just walk away like everybody else and let Gedda walk off into the sunset, is that it?"

"I want you to let someone else handle this; someone who isn't going to get emotionally reckless and end up dead or getting someone else killed."

"I am; I'm asking you for help."

I sat back in the booth and stared at him. No matter what Warrick's opinion of me was never going to change, that was certain. There was always going to be something off about me, something not right. He was going to always see me as possessing a deep emotional void in my chest where my heart should be.

"Angela?"

Instead of lashing out at him, I nodded; a plan of my own already forming in my head. "I'll see what I can do."

He seemed satisfied at my answer and opened his menu again. Forty-five minutes later he finished eating and I finished my fourth cup of coffee. We argued over who got the check but he won this time and made his way over to the counter to pay.

Thumbing the knife handle, I gazed around and peered through the diner blinds to notice that the black Dodge Charger parked across the street since Warrick had arrived was still there. I leaned back and was thankful that the blinds were there to block the view of whoever was obviously trailing Warrick. _Eeny meeny miny mole; when I catch you I'm gonna cut off your toes._

"I should go."

I opened my mouth to say something about his shadow then stopped. I nodded. "Be careful."

"You too."

I sat there and watched from the slit in the blinds as Warrick crossed the street and climbed into his rented truck. I rose from the booth and moved towards the door as the engine on the Charger was heard revving, the lights flickering on. Hidden in the doorway, I spotted the license plate number just as the car pulled away.

"Is your friend going to be okay?"

I turned my head to gaze Eva. "What makes you ask?"

The red head tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear nervously. "He seemed upset and… and there was a guy."

"A guy?" I turned my entire body to face her this time. "What guy?"

"Um, brown hair, brown eyes, a little shorter than your friend. He came in here with a photo the other day and asked me if I had seen your friend."

"Was his name Nick?"

Eva shrugged. "He didn't give me his name but he asked me how often he came in and what he did." She squeezed her cleaning rag with both hands. "I didn't tell him about you. I did like you asked if anyone ever came in asking about anything related to you…" She paused to go around the counter and came back to hand me a sheet of paper. "I got that off his car."

I stared down at the same numbers I had just memorized off the Charger. "Thank you Eva." I dug into my pocket and handed her a fifty.

"Oh no, I-"

"Take it Eva; treat yourself and your kid to something nice."

She smiled and took the money, still smiling as she stuck it into her money belt. "Thank you Angela."

"Don't mention it." I dug my keys and one of my business cards out of my pocket. I handed it to her. "You see or hear anything else, you call me."

Nodding, she took the card as well. "You've got it."

888888888888888888

It wasn't hard to find the information I needed to know. Dara kept her desk neat and her computer always running so it didn't take me long to type in the plate number and look up exactly who was tailing Warrick.

Daniel Pritchard was a 12th year officer and had served his entire career in Vegas. Credited with always being on time and volunteering when needed, he was highly respected with several commendations to his name.

_Suck up. Probably a Momma's boy before he hacked her up with a chainsaw and fed her to pet alligators. _Okay, I was making up that last part but Pritchard was definitely a problem. If he was the mole, there was no telling exactly how long he had been sharing private case and staff information. The bigger issue was the one of exactly who he was working for; it had to be another inside source, someone higher up. While Gedda had the money to sway even the most honest soul, he would have needed an inside source to even gain the backing of a hired gun with any level of clearance. _Please God let it be Ecklie._

"Well, look who it is."

I rolled my eyes as I spotted Hodges in the doorway of one of the lab rooms. "How's it going Hodges? Still living in your mother's garage?"

"I'll have you know it's a furnished basement." He ran a hand over his hair and smiled. "Ecklie must be keeping you busy; you never come and visit me anymore."

"Ecklie has us all busy; the man does love to crack the whip. I think the love of control somehow relates to a problem of impotency." I smiled back but it was a strain to do so with my mind on so many other things at the moment. "I need to go; I only came by to drop something off."

"I was about to ask why you were here, Thursdays are your day off."

"Stalker."

He chuckled and inclined his head as if signifying guilt. "Take it easy Angel Cake."

I didn't take the time correct him, already moving off as I suddenly spotted Daniel Pritchard leaving the station in civilian clothing. It was almost like a sign from God and I began to follow a good distance behind him.

Heart beating rapidly in my chest, I trailed him until we reached Lou Gedda's strip club; the time late so the only lights on now were located in the back of the building. The Charger pulled into the back parking lot and I continued past, not stopping until I was a few blocks down. I parked and got out, pulling my black jacket tighter before I started towards the club.

My heart beat had slowed by the time I reached the back area and I stopped in the shade of the building to adjust the black gloves on my hands. The atmosphere was calm, the air warm but not uncomfortable, and for a minute I stayed there in the shadows merely listening.

A noise to my left had me flattening myself against the wall at my back, hand going to the inside of my jacket where I kept my syringe carefully tucked away. I gripped my fingers around it, ready but mindful at the same time of the blade positioned against my back in the holster. It was beyond true that a girl could never be too careful.

It couldn't have surprised me more to see Warrick, his gun drawn and flashlight firmly in his left hand. I waited until he was passed me to move out of the shadows. My foot connected solidly with the back of his knee and he went down, the action allowing me to twist the gun from his hand and knock the flashlight away.

"Imagine running into you here."

"What the fuck Angela?" Warrick hissed as he steadied himself back on his feet. He bent to grab the flashlight. "And where the hell did you learn to do that?"

"I'm a master in the art of ka-ra-te ." I smirked at the look of disbelief on his face. "What? A girl can't have hobbies?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"I asked you first!"

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed his arm and jerked him into the shadow of the building. "I was following a lead; now what are you doing?"

"A lead? You're not a cop Angela, you're a coroner and despite what you think, you can't do your own autopsy! You need to go home right now!"

"Yeah, okay. Touched you care." I readjusted my jacket. "What's your excuse?"

"Gedda called me. He said he wanted to talk."

"And you believed him?" I made sure the safety was on before I tossed him his gun back. "You're going to need that to be able to shoot yourself in the head." I glanced around. "You need to go find Dara and do something I'd find nauseating with her."

Warrick grabbed my arms and shook me. "This isn't a laughing matter. You're right; it could be a trap so you need to go. Go before you're connected with this."

"If you think I'm leaving, give me the gun back so I can shoot you myself."

As he was about to object, a door opened and I flattened myself against the wall, pulling Warrick along with me. He was flattened against me and I tried hard to ignore his taller frame pressing against mine as whoever had opened the door stepped out onto the backyard. Our eyes connected and I grabbed onto his shirt when he started to move back.

I shook my head and he paused, neither of us breathing until the footsteps faded and the door shut again. A few minutes ticked by and silence filled the alley way again. "Warrick?"

"Yeah?"

"You can get off of me now."

He stepped back as if I was contaminated but I wasn't offended. He unlocked the safety of his gun and turned on his flashlight again. "I'm going in; go home Angela."

"Shut the hell up Warrick. I'm taking the back; you go through the front."

"You're not armed."

"I know." I lied. "I'm going to be your eyes; trust me on this, you need the back up. I think I saw someone go in with Gedda." _Reminder to self; limit daily intake of lies if possible. _"You find Gedda and if I see someone I'll scream like a girl."

"This is ridiculous; you go in there and get hurt I'll never hear the end of it from Nick."

"You don't let me help you and you'll never hear the end of it from me." I reached out to turn off his flashlight. "What are you, a ghost hunter? Let's go."

His green eyes flickered over me but then he nodded. He tossed me the flashlight. "Use the heavy end if you get in a bind."

"Okay MacGuyver." He walked away and I tossed it over my shoulder. "I'll make sure I do that."

I went in the opposite direction and minutes later I was deep in the belly of the beast. The club lights were all off except the ones at the bar and I made my way up the stairs without stopping, the layout of the club imprinted in my mind. I lingered in the shadows at the top of the stairs near Gedda's office and caught sight of Warrick entering through the front door.

He trained his gun on me when I moved but seeing who it was, he started towards the stairs. I didn't move, letting him go past me first, and when he stepped into the doorway of Gedda's office, I followed.

"Gedda!" Warrick called out. "You wanted to see me! Now you're hiding? Come out!"

I saw Gedda seconds before he did and swore at the sight of the dead man sitting in his antique shaving chair. Someone had done a number on his face before shooting him several times in the chest. A huge puddle of blood covered the floor around him.

"Jesus." Lowering his gun, Warrick covered his mouth and went forward. "This is not fucking happening."

"I beg to differ." I muttered. I moved forward as well and bent down my haunches just at the edge of the puddle. "Look at that." I pointed at his wrists. "Someone got creative."

"Who would do this? Gedda is supposed to be at the top of the food chain. I don't understand."

I stood up quickly. "All you need to understand right now is that we're going to have to call this in right now. And I think you need to know that I found-"

"Angela! Look out!"

Daniel Pritchard suddenly moved out of the shadows and I barely had time to react as he raised his gun straight at me. I took a step back and waited for the sad, pathetic ending to my life. It never came.

Gun shots rang out and Pritchard flailed his arms as he fell backwards onto the desk. He rolled off into the floor and didn't move.

"Shoot him again."

"What?" Warrick stepped forward and motioned me behind him. "He's dead."

"I want you to make sure." I snapped. "Shoot him again."

Warrick frowned but kept his eyes and gun trained on Pritchard. "There's no need, he's dead Angela. Do you recognize him?"

"That is… was Daniel Pritchard. He's a day shift cop at the station and he also happens to be your mole." I groaned as I looked down to notice I had stepped in some of Gredda's blood. "Fucking great."

Warrick holstered his weapon and reached out to turn me so he could look me in the face. "Are you okay?"

"You saved my life."

"Don't look so bummed out about it." He smirked at me. "The way I see it, if you hadn't been here it might have been me on that floor instead of him. Hey! Angela, don't-"

I bent down beside Pritchard's body and patted him down. I pulled a piece of cloth from his jacket pocket. "It's wet." I glanced over my shoulder at Warrick. "Something tells me killing you wasn't exactly the plan."

Warrick glanced over at Gedda's body. "Something tells me you're right."

I dropped the cloth and stood back up. "Let's get this over with as quickly as we can. Would you like to do the honors of calling or should I?"

* * *

**HEY YOU! The person who puts me on their alert and always reads but never leaves me any feedback. HELP A GIRL OUT AND LEAVE ME SOMETHING! And for those that do and do it faithfully, you are the best reviewers EVER and I shall send Nick dressed in only a bow to each and every one of you! mwah!**


	9. Episode 2x09

**A/N: **_My reviewers ROCK! And lurkers? Lurk on; thank_s _for sending me some reviews last time. I appreciate it; definitely helps me keep going with this and writing in general! Enjoy!_

**Chapter Nine: Pieces of a Puzzle**

"Let's go over this again."

"Is that really necessary?" I eyed Holland Wagenbach from where I was sitting at the interrogation table. The Internal Affairs Officer paced in front of me and drummed his fingers against his legs. "We've been at this for two hours now."

"If you want to be released Ms. Wilkins, we'll go over this as many times as is needed."

With a sigh I folded my arms on the table. "By all means, please continue."

"Tell me again why you were at Lou Gedda's club with Warrick Brown."

"I wasn't with Warrick Brown." I repeated again for what felt like the hundredth time. "I was in the neighborhood; I thought I saw suspicious activity and upon seeing Warrick's vehicle, I parked my car and approached the club."

"You just happened to be in the neighborhood?"

"That's what I just said." I replied calmly. "Again."

Wagenbach pressed his hands against the table and leaned his face close to mine. "And upon entering the club, you just happened to go upstairs and find Gedda's body."

I leaned in as well to bring our faces even closer together. "That's correct."

"When exactly did Officer Pritchard attack?"

"I was examining the body and when I stood up, he came at me."

"And this is when Warrick Brown shot him four times?"

I placed my hands flat on the table. "It all happened rather quickly but yes, that's what happened." I began to trace circles on the table as if bored and truth be told for once, I was. It would be so easy to toy with the man in front of the cameras and whoever was watching but I was tired. Besides, I had to save my strength for Hurricane Nick brewing outside. "We checked to make sure Pritchard was dead and then called it in."

"What's the extent of your relationship with Mr. Brown?"

I snorted. "There is no extent."

"So you wouldn't even consider him a friend?" Wagenbach smiled down at me. "You wouldn't help him out in a tough situation or say cover for him?"

I chuckled and rocked back in the chair. "They must teach you IA types the art of grabbing at straws at the academy. A friend? I guess you could call him that; he's my fiancé's best friend so tolerance is kind of mandatory. As for helping or covering for him, I don't know of a single reason why I would need to do anything like that." I reached out to tug at his tie. "That's a no just in case you need me to repeat it again."

"Don't act coy Ms. Wilkins. It won't help you get out of here any faster."

"Why the rush Wagenbach? Maybe I enjoy your company." I smirked. "Or maybe I like hanging around answering stupid, pointless questions that you already know the answers to. Accept whatever angle suits your needs better." I leaned back again in my chair. "And unless you're going to charge me with something, it's time to stop the Q&A. I've been tolerating this song and dance long enough."

The door opened as if an answer to my prayers and Wagenbach stepped back as Ecklie entered with Grissom following him. Grissom shut the door but said nothing and feeling like a kid afraid of being scolded by a father, I ignored his gaze.

"You'll leave when we're finished and not a minute before Ms. Wilkins." Ecklie crossed his arms over his chest. "Has she answered your questions?"

"Am I being charged with something?" I questioned loudly. "I haven't done anything; neither has Warrick."

"You call shooting a man not doing anything?"

"He saved my life." Even as I said it, it was still hard to believe. The distaste Warrick and I had for each other was legendary. With his recent issues it wasn't hard to imagine him allowing Pritchard a few shots before responding himself. I looked back over at Wagenbach. "Are we done here?"

He pulled at his tie but nodded. "We're done Ms.Wilkins. You're free to go."

"Very well." Ecklie looked less than pleased. "You can go home now Ms. Wilkins."

"Home?"

"That's correct; until the paper work is on my desk I don't want to see you anywhere near this building."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you suspending me?"

"I never said anything about suspension."

"You might as well have!" I rose to my feet. "How long will it take for the paper work to be finalized? Two days? A week? You're telling me to sit at home simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Angela…" Grissom's tone was light but I could hear the warning there.

"Two days." Wagenbach cut in. "That's all we're asking."

"What good will it possibly do for me to stay home for two days?" I argued. "I'm the head coroner on night shift and I have a rookie assistant at the moment. What are you going to do, hand him all my cases? I come back in two days and I'm going to have to do twenty more things all because you're too stubborn to take this at face value and let me do my job!"

"Angela, that's enough." Grissom spoke up louder. He turned to Ecklie. "Two days will do this department more harm than good Ecklie and that doesn't just affect us, it affects you as well. I doubt you want the undersheriff here breathing down your neck because we're behind in case loads while The Artist still remains at large."

Ecklie glared at him before returning his attention to me. "One day and that's final."

I wanted to argue some more but I knew when I was pushing my luck. I nodded. "Okay. Now are we done?"

Ecklie didn't answer, he merely turned and strode out of the door with Wagenbach following. Grissom lingered behind and I shoved the chair in.

"What you did was extremely foolish."

"Warrick obviously needed the help." I met Grissom's gaze as calmly as I could despite the anger swelling inside over Ecklie's idiocy. "We all know you weren't going to do anything."

His eyebrows rose and it was all I needed to settle down. "I care about each member of my team…"

"Like I said, I was driving by, I saw his car and put two and two together." I jerked open the door of the interrogation room. "What happens to Warrick now?"

"IA is almost done debriefing him. They'll release him and give him the same ultimatum they gave you. When he comes back to work, well, that's a conversation I've yet to have with Ecklie."

"Ecklie will try to demote him."

"I won't let him."

I turned my head away to look out into the hallway and sighed at seeing Nick waiting there. He was sitting down with a cup of coffee in his hands, rumpled clothing signifying he had been in bed when he had gotten the call and had no doubt rushed to the station as soon as he had been able.

"I'll see you in one day Grissom."

"Be careful Angela."

I approached Nick rather slowly because I knew the conversation we would have later about the night's events would be a rather unpleasant one. I had told him I was going to talk to Dara and perhaps 

persuade her into working out at the twenty-four gym downtown in order to relieve some stress brought on by The Artist case. He had of course in true Nick fashion completely supported the idea.

"Please tell me you haven't been here all night."

Nick rose to his feet and the air rushed out of my lungs as he pulled me in for a tight hug. He buried his face in my neck and for a few minutes we stood awkwardly in the hallway until he released me.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He questioned heatedly. "You said you were going to be at the gym! Gedda's is all the way on the other side of town Angela!"

I looked around to see who was watching and winced at realizing the answer was everyone. "Can we please talk about this at home?"

He nodded sternly and grabbed my arm at the elbow. I let him escort me through the building and minutes later we were heading to the house, dead silence filling the car. I tapped my fingers on my knees and looked at him from the corner of my eye.

"Are you upset with me?"

"What the hell do you think?"

"Um, no?"

"What the hell were you thinking Angela?" Nick hit the steering wheel with his fist. "You're not a cop! You're not a CSI, you're a coroner, and what you did was reckless and on top of that you lied to me!"

_I lie to you all the time; I just happened to get caught this time. _"I really don't want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn't shown up."

"That's not the damn point!"

"No, the point is that I was at Gedda's because I…" I stopped short and let out a low sigh. I couldn't tell him the real reason I was at Gedda's thanks to IA breathing down my neck. They were investigating Daniel Pritchard now and IA had made sure to make it loud and clear that keeping my mouth shut was my number one priority. After years of practice, I was sure I would be able to accomplish that but seeing Nick so angry and mostly because of fear I found it a difficult task. "I love you."

"I love you too baby but sometimes I want to shake you."

I would have normally been tempted to turn the comment into something sexual in order to calm him down but now just wasn't one of those times. "I'm sorry I scared you." I reached out for his hand. "But when I saw Warrick's car, I just knew if I didn't try to stop him something terrible was going to happen."

I felt terrible for lying but in a way I was telling the truth, one he could handle. I squeezed his hand and was relieved when he squeezed it back. Even though he didn't say anything the rest of the ride back to the house I knew that by the morning things would be okay between us.

99999999999999999999

Maybe I hypothetically spoke too soon. I was fixing myself a cup of coffee the next morning when I noticed Nick hovering in the doorway of the kitchen. Cup in hand, I turned and smiled but my smile faded when he didn't smile back right away. "What? What is it?"

He lifted up my phone. "Your parents called."

_Oh crap. _"And you answered?"

He nodded, jaw line set as he stepped forward. "I did. I wanted to say hello, introduce myself finally and imagine my surprise when they had no clue who I was!"

"Nick-"

"They weren't even aware you were seeing anyone much less engaged!"

I grabbed the back of the kitchen chair with both hands. "I can explain."

"You damn well better!"

"Look, I don't exactly have that great of a relationship with my parents anymore. I love them, they provided for me, but it doesn't mean I like them."

"You haven't even told them about me, not one word Angela."

"They'll probably be too busy to even make it to the wedding anyway."

"If there even is a wedding!"

"What does that mean?" I raised my eyebrows and lowered my cup to the table. "What; you're just going to break up with me because I haven't told my parents about you!?"

Nick frowned. "What? No but if you don't pick a date, how can we get married? We've been engaged for almost six months now and you haven't made a single arrangement yet!"

"I've been busy." I answered shortly.

His dark eyes watched me, an indescribable look floating in their depths. "I wish you wouldn't push me away Angela. Everyone else, I can understand but when you shut me out too, I can't think of a moment I've ever felt more hurt."

My heart plummeted into my stomach. "I don't mean to hurt you." I stepped forward and reached out to cup his face with my hands. "I love you. I never want to cause you any pain."

"Stop pushing me away." He covered my hands with his. "I thought by now, especially when we're going to get married, that I would be the one person you'd let inside but you're still shutting me out at 

times. I can get over your parents not having known because I understand we grew up with different kinds of family. It's going to take me a few more hours, but I'll get over it."

"Just a few hours?"

"I love you. It's hard to be mad at you for longer than five seconds." He pulled my hands down in order to kiss my palms. "But you need to call your parents. I think your mom is still a bit confused as to who I am."

"She's always been a little slow." I remarked dryly. I leaned into him with a sigh. "I was going to tell them." _Maybe after we had been married for a hundred year_s or so.

"I know baby." Nick kissed the top of my head. "You just needed a little push." He rested his chin against my hair. "There's also something I need to tell you."

I waited for my world to explode. "What's that Nicky?"

"I told Warrick that if he and Dara needed a place to stay that our house was available."

"Please tell me you're joking."

He chuckled and leaned back to kiss the top of my nose. "Nope, I'm being serious. He turned me down but there's always the chance they'll change their minds especially now that it seems this guy is stalking Dara."

Having Warrick and Dara sleeping under the same roof as me was the last thing in the world I wanted. It was a smart suggestion and a very Nick thing to do but between Warrick's issues as of late, our late night meetings, and my need to solve problems in my own way, well, basically living with them might bring nothing but destruction and gloom for the entire universe.

"I owe the man for saving my life but living under the same roof as him? Seriously?"

With a smile, Nick kissed me again but I didn't miss the flicker of uncertainty still lingering in his eyes.

"Hey, I love you." I grabbed onto his shirt. "I'll call my parents; I promise."

"Why were you ignoring them anyway? Your mother said she's been trying to call you for days to wish you a happy birthday."

"Yeah, that's her excuse but every time she just ends up ranting at me. We talk at each other for several minutes then she starts to cry and I give her same lame excuse about why I need to hang up." I dropped my eyes and let my fingers toy with the fabric of his shirt. "It's been that way for years."

"Since Andy died?"

I hated how it still hurt to hear his name. I nodded and kept my gaze directed downward.

"What do you want for your birthday?"

I looked up at Nick and smiled when I noticed him smiling. "I don't…"

"Don't give me that mess about not celebrating. We need to celebrate." He brushed his fingers through my hair and pressed his lips to my forehead. "You think about what you want or what you'd like to do and we'll talk about it later okay?"

"Okay." _Too bad I can't request something illegal; I have a long list in that category. _I sighed as he kissed me again but the moment was ruined by the sound of his phone ringing to alert him of a text message. I looped my arms around his neck and tried my best to distract him. "Toss that thing in the garbage disposal."

"I wish I could baby." Nick flipped open his phone. "Looks like they need some extra hands down at the station."

"Tell them your hands are already busy."

He cocked an eyebrow at me as he slid his phone back onto his belt. "Oh really?"

I nodded slowly with a lewd grin. "Well, they could be in about five minutes if you stay."

"You are a cruel woman, you know that?" He reached out to pull me back against him and I tilted my head to meet his lips with mine. "I need to go."

"I need you to stay. It's been a long night."

"I really wish I could baby but I promise to make it up to you. I'll try to get off early tonight and cook for you, how about that?"

I was smiling as I eyed him. "You're going to make it up to me with burnt food?"

"Hey, that was only one time and it was all because you distracted me."

"I didn't have any clean underwear that day; maybe next time you won't forget to buy laundry detergent when it's your turn to do the shopping."

"Or maybe I'll always forget the detergent."

I chuckled as he ran his hands down my backside. "You're going to be late if you keep this up Mr. Stokes."

"It might be worth it."

"Might?"

He chuckled but it quickly turned into a groan as his phone rang again. He ignored it to kiss me but pulled away when his phone continued to ring. "I swear I'm this close to strangling Ecklie."

_No disagreement here. _"Hurry home when you clock out." I kissed him one more time before stepping away. "I'll make you forget all about Ecklie."

"I'm going to hold you to that promise."

"I certainly hope so."

999999999999999

Time is a mortal enemy and today it was testing my patience. I paced the living room and glanced at my watch for what seemed like the fiftieth time in the past thirty minutes. The knock on the front door echoed loudly through the house and I almost tripped over my own feet to get to the door. _Real smooth for a serial killer Angela, real smooth._

I swung open the door, a hand on my hip. "You're late."

"I hate this fucking town." Holland Wagenbach moved past me, a folder under his arm, and I shut the door behind him with the flick of my wrist. He settled down on the couch and tossed the folder onto the coffee table. "Your friend Warrick is in a world of trouble; you're lucky that you called me when you did. The undersheriff and Ecklie are gunning to tie this up as quickly as possible."

"How so? Gedda's dead now and we have the mole."

"But you don't have the main guy, that's the problem, and based on Warrick's debriefing today, he's not going to stop until he finds out who that is." Wagenbach spread his arms out on the back of the couch. "If I had told you seven years ago you'd be engaged and looking to settle down, you would have laughed in my face."

"I probably would have done more than that." I lowered myself down into the lounger adjacent to the couch and sipped at my coffee. "But things change. How is the family?"

"They're good; Jack's nine now. He's growing like a weed and Lisa, well, she's Lisa."

"Still after you to buy that house in the Bahamas I imagine."

"You got it." He scratched at his chin. "Sorry if I was a bit harsh during your debriefing; I felt really awkward tricking your boss like that. Grissom's a nice guy."

I nodded. "He is but I did tell you to make it look as genuine as possible." I cleared my throat. "I needed someone in on this I could trust and the list is a short one."

"You know you can depend on me."

I didn't debate that. Before joining Internal Affairs, Holland Wagenbach had been one of the best detectives at the New York City department. He was dedicated, he was respected, and he was the only one that seemed to care about my brother's case. It was because of Wagenbach that Dylan had been arrested and he had fought tooth and nail to keep Dylan behind bars.

Even after Dylan had been released and had disappeared thanks to me, he worked diligently to find some sort of justice for me. It went a long way when so many others including my own parents chose instead to shut out that part of my life and pretend to move on with theirs. I knew that Wagenbach had lost people in the past so he understood my reluctance to just let things go. I still believed to this day he kept up with Andy's case in the hopes of cracking it.

"You could have fought Ecklie a little more on the suspension issue."

Wagenbach chuckled. "As you said, it had to look real. I had to fight to get this case to begin with and even now I have to dot my I's and cross my T's. Let's hope everyone stays occupied with catching The Artist and not with digging up any of your background."

"I'm not worried. They were after Warrick, not me. What has IA decided to do about Warrick?"

"Right now we're writing it up as self-defense but I doubt Ecklie will simply let it go. As for the Gedda, the case is being closed."

"You're kidding; what about the mole?"

"What about him?" Wagenbach questioned. "The only connection we had for Pritchard was Gedda and he's dead. From what we could make of the evidence, Pritchard killed Gedda and had planned to frame Warrick for it. That's all we have."

"Daniel Pritchard didn't work for Gedda; he worked for someone much higher up."

"As far as the undersheriff is concerned he worked for Gedda and got greedy, that's what the evidence is telling us and that's where we're leaving it unless we stumble across something else."

I snorted in disgust. "By the time you find anything useful it'll be too late. Cases become cold for a reason, no one gives a shit."

"You know that's not true."

Gulping down several mouthfuls of coffee, I ignored the obvious meaning behind the reply. "What can you tell me about The Artist case?"

"Ecklie has a definite hard on for this guy and I don't blame him one bit. You've got one sick fuck on your hands. I made a copy of some paperwork related to the case for you but if you get caught with it, we never talked." He watched me pick up the folder and flip through it. "We think your guy is definitely here because of Detective Waters and because of that Ecklie is considering putting her under protective services and relocating her."

"What sense does that make? Dara's the one person that knows every detail about this case and if our killer is really here because of her, it's only going to piss him off if Ecklie makes that decision. Our guy wants her leading the investigation; he wants her asking the questions door to door and doing interviews on the television. It's his way of controlling her. This guy is into games and he's basically playing everyone like pieces on a Chessboard."

"You might be right and so far Ecklie is leaning in the same direction. He's given her permission to put a team together to work on the case."

I tossed the folder back onto the table. "I appreciate your help Holland."

"No problem. Say, what were you really doing at Gedda's last night?"

"I already told you Officer; I drove by and saw Warrick's car." I smirked into my coffee cup. "Don't get that look on your face; there's no need to worry about me."

He nodded as he stood up and adjusted the gun on his hip. "I know you can handle yourself Angela but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be concerned. You watch yourself out there and keep your nose clean around Ecklie."

"Yes sir." I mock saluted.

Wagenbach chuckled and extended his hand as I stood up as well. "I wish the circumstances had been different but it was good to see you again Angela. You've got my card; my line is always open."

"Thank you." I accepted his hand and didn't fight him as he pulled me in for a hug. Wagenbach and his damn emotions. I plastered a smile on my face when he pulled away. "Be careful Wagenbach, tell the family I said hello."

"Will do." He paused as he opened the front door. "It's good to see you moving on and doing so well Angela. Nick Stokes is a good man."

My smile this time was genuine.


	10. Episode 2x10

**A/N: **_To celebrate graduating college (YAY!) here is an update! Enjoy and do please keep those reviews coming! You rock!_

**Chapter Ten: Z is for Zen  
**

As if I didn't already have a ton of things to do I debated for nearly an hour over calling my mother. I showered first and threw on my robe, debating some more before making up my mind to actually call. It was almost as if she knew I was thinking about her and as I reached for my cell phone it began to vibrate loudly. Biting back a sigh, I scooped it up from the coffee table and flipped it open. "Hello Mother."

"Your father and I have decided to come to Vegas."

I almost dropped the phone and sank down onto the couch in shock. "You're what?"

"We want to meet this young man of yours."

_Oh Christ, not good. _"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"And why is that? Are you ashamed of us?"

_That's not exactly it. _"Of course not I just-"

"Are you ashamed of your fiancé?"

I pressed my palm against my forehead. "I am not ashamed of anything Mother."

"Good because we want to meet the man who is planning on spending the rest of his life with you." My mother continued. "Your father seems happy that you've met someone new. We're just a bit shocked you never mentioned him to us before when you've been dating almost two years now!"

"We haven't been engaged for very long."

"I'm going to assume from what you've told me about him that you've already met his parents."

"They're very nice people." I leaned back into the couch cushions and stared up at the ceiling. "Nick's father is a Texas State Supreme Court Judge and his mother is a public defender."

"How long have they been married?"

"Forty-five years."

My mother let out a low whistle. "They have me and your father beat by only two years."

"Congratulations." I remarked dryly. "When are you flying out?"

"We're not sure. Your father has some business to attend to first in Rhode Island. You are going to spend some time with us aren't you? When we visited three years ago, you pretty much worked the entire time. We came all that way and barely saw you."

"Work has been busy lately but I'll try."

"Ah, that's right. Your father and I have been keeping an eye on the news there. Is it true a serial killer is loose in your city? Perhaps we should wait."

I snorted. "I doubt he's going to target you mother. You're a little seasoned."

"Angela, you mind your manners." She shifted the phone. "Terrance, she called me seasoned."

I couldn't help but smile at hearing my father laugh in the background. "If you really want to come out Mother by all means do. I'd like for you to meet him."

"Do you truly love this boy Angela?"

"Yes, I do Mother."

"Does he respect you?"

I smiled again. "Yes. He treats me like a Princess."

"Good. Your father was prepared to say something if he had to straighten him out." She chuckled. "Is he cute?"

"Mother..."

"What; I can't ask?" She chuckled. "Does he have any siblings?"

"He has one brother and five sisters."

"Good lord, bless his parents."

I laughed at that just as Fuddles bound excitedly into the room. Seeing me he jumped at the couch. I shifted to scoop him off the floor and the second his paws touched the leather he lunged for the sash of my robe. "Fuddles, no!"

"Fuddles? Is that slang for something?"

I wrestled the sash out of his mouth and tucked it under me so he couldn't get to it. "We have a dog, a Yorkshire Terrier."

"You have a dog? My daughter Angela has a dog?"

I rolled my eyes. "To be honest, I was coerced into taking him but he's adorable."

"One second, Terrance? Our daughter has a dog!" My mother yelled into the distance. "And she's using words like adorable now!"

"Mother or not, I'm about to hang up on you."

She chuckled. "I'm sorry Angela, it's just a shock. You're usually so... Well, you've been different since Andy..." She stopped and cleared her throat. "I'm glad to hear you're so happy. It's good to hear from my daughter again."

"I've always made a point to call or email."

"A few words in an email aren't acceptable Angela but I've tried to distance myself and give us all space to mend our wounds. Talking to you about anything in the past has been the equivalent of pulling teeth so I can't say I'm all that surprised you waited so long to even consider telling me about Nick. I was very surprised when he picked up but he seems like a very nice young boy."

"Mother, he's a man in his thirties."

"Don't you correct your mother; he's younger than me." She paused for only a second. "As long as you're happy Angela, that's all that matters."

"I thought family was all that mattered."

"You love this man, he treats you well, is crazy about you from what I caught during our short conversation and you're going to marry him, that makes him family."

"He wants a family." I blurted not entirely sure why. There was time I told my mother everything but the years and pain that filled that gap of time had changed that. "We got into an argument about it the other day. I don't know if I can handle something like that. I don't know… if I'm cut out to be a good mother to a child."

My mother made a sound in the back of her throat, the one mothers made when you admitted something they already seemed to know. "When you were a little girl Angela, you followed me around all the time imitating me. You wanted to be just like me and you told your father repeatedly you were going to grow up to be the best mother in the world. Does that sound like the kind of person who would grow up to be a bad mother?"

"No." _But i__t doesn't sound like the kind who grows up to be a serial killer either. _

"It's perfectly normal to be scared but if you two generally care about each other and down the road you want to start a family together, I can't tell you enough how worth it it is." She hesitated. "I know you miss your brother, your father and I think about him every day but what happened..."

"Mother..."

"I've learned that you can't let fear run your life Angela and you can't let anger and sadness take turns in making decisions for you. It's time to let it go. It's time to make peace and start planning this future you have with Nick."

"I'm not sure I know how to let go."

"That's something you're going to have to figure out yourself baby but from the sound of things, you're heading in the right direction." She paused. "Your father is ready to go out to dinner so I must get off the phone."

"When will I expect you in Vegas?"

"We haven't decided just yet but when we figure it out, I'll call you again."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, sitting there a few minutes to let everything stew in my head. Having my parents in town would hinder me in a lot of ways but at the same time I think I needed it. Nick needed it and that was all that mattered.

Lowering Fuddles back to the carpet, I moved into the bedroom and changed into a pair of old jeans and a tank top. I threw on a necklace and dangling earrings before I put my hair up into a tight bun at the base of my neck. In the background I heard the tiny pitter patter of Fuddles's nails hitting the ground and for a minute I pondered what it would be like for those feet to be accompanied by the sound of tiny children's, their laughter filling the house with warmth and a type of love that I had never truly known.

My reflection in the dresser mirror made me frown. This was almost like playing dress up in a body that wasn't mine. Maybe that's what it had been all along and I was just beginning to realize it again. Maybe it was time to stop hanging on to all my anger and to actually fully lose myself in who I was each time Nick looked my way. Just maybe.

1010101010101010

The second I stepped into the morgue I was bombarded with work. Michael and I spent the majority of the first half playing catch up. As if sensing my need for silence, Michael barely said anything unless it was work related and I made a mental note to thank him in my own way for that. Perhaps I'd let up on some of my sarcasm that I usually directed at him.

He seemed to be fitting in nicely and I found myself actually glad to have someone to work with that understood the way I functioned. True, he didn't completely understand but another coroner was a closer connection then the countless cops and agents in the building that constantly questioned as to why I seemed to enjoy what I did so much.

I still had my doubts about him but I watched him carefully and if he was trouble, he sure hid it well. I randomly entertained myself with the idea that he could be The Artist. The murders had started when he had appeared, he was handy with cutting tools, and he was on the inside track to the investigation. Then again, if I was going that route, every single new person was a suspect. It was possible older staff could be included into the equation as well but if that was the case, it was only going to infuriate me. A serial killer under my nose the whole time and I didn't realize it? Impossible.

Michael swore as he burned himself pouring coffee into his mug. _And the Oscar goes to… Oh who am I kidding; the man admits to listening to pop music and the last movie he saw was Transformers. If he's The Artist then I'm Martha Stewart._

"You alright there Champ?"

He nodded and wiped the counter clean of his mess. "I didn't get much sleep yesterday. It was a madhouse here. I don't see how you do it day in and day out."

_Try working this job and killing people on the side; it's a juggling act._ "It gets easier as you go along. Pretty soon you won't even notice you're doing it." _Ain't that the truth?_

"People are really freaking out about this whole Artist deal. My elderly neighbor told me she was keeping a close eye on me the other day."

I wanted to burst out laughing but Michael already looked offended enough.

"It's not like I shouldn't be worried too; who knows, this nut might decide to even out the playing field and start killing men as well."

"It's possible but I wouldn't bet on it. Serial killers often follow a strict pattern; it's like their forced to do the same thing over and over again. True, you get those that evolve out of necessity to survive or because they feel threatened but this guy? It's about control over women, that's where the power lies. If he kills a male for any reason, he won't waste his time creating any type of mural to them. They're just…"

"A casualty?"

"No Zen for men." I quipped.

"Zen?"

"Enlightenment." I answered. I pushed our latest case into a cabinet, a sixty-year old man that had died of a heart attack that morning. "Our killer tends to think what he does enlightens and inspires."

"How do you know that?"

_That's what I would strive to do. _"It's just a guess." I shrugged. "How should I know Michael? I'm just the coroner."

Our conversation was halted as the morgue doors opened and Grissom appeared. He was already wearing his CSI LVPD vest, the straw hat that was so typically him already on his head. "I'm heading to a 419 in Desert Shores. Who wants it?"

I had made Michael handle the heart attack victim knowing it was pretty cut and dry so I immediately grabbed my jacket. "Looks like that would be me."


	11. Episode 2x11

**Chapter Eleven: Happy Birthday to Me**

Thirty minutes later we pulled into the driveway of a very nice home in the Desert Shoes community. The perimeter was taped off and there were police cars scattered around the property. I quickly grabbed my kit and hopped out of the van, sunglasses on my face. I was already sweating by the time I reached the front door and I swore under my breath as I entered the house. _If someone doesn't ironically kill me, this humidity will._

I spotted Captain Brass talking to an older looking woman in the adjacent room to the foyer. A winding staircase was in front of me and I followed the dark polished wooden steps to the very top, commotion from the upstairs indicating where the scene was located in the house.

"Are you okay?"

I watched Grissom move past me and nodded. "I'm fine. Where is the body?"

We took the stairs side by side. "The house keeper said the victim was supposed to be out of town with her daughter. She came to check the plants and found the victim dead in the master bedroom."

"What about the daughter?"

"She's missing."

I entered the bedroom a step behind him and caught sight of Nick. Our eyes met and he winked at me before turning back to the dresser where he was taking pictures. Smiling, I trailed my gaze over his backside before shifting my attention to the victim sprawled out on the bed.

My smile vanished as I studied the red-headed woman from where she was lying flat on her stomach, arms spread out as if she had fallen into that position on the mattress. She was naked from the waist up, a cotton robe covering the rest of her. The sash to the robe was around her neck.

Countless scenarios ran through my head at that exact moment but it didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been strangled. Perhaps there had been a robbery in progress when she had unexpected come home and the robber had panicked. Maybe it wasn't a stranger and she had come home early to spend time with a familiar face only to be betrayed by him. _Betrayal, not such a neutral word anymore is it Angela?_

I snapped gloves onto my hands and got to work. Liver temperature told me she had been dead for only a few hours. As I assumed, the marks on her neck pointed to the sash as being the weapon of choice. It was obvious that she had struggled and I frowned at the prospect of ordering a rape kit on her.

Nick was collecting the sash into an evidence bag and I stepped away to watch as the morgue hands zipped up the woman's body. I tried to stop frowning but found it difficult. _This shouldn't be a big deal to me. This shouldn't be anything to me._

I suddenly disliked my job and the last thing I wanted to do was drive to the morgue just to cut into the woman's empty shell. A scream inside my head startled me and I turned sharply on the heel of my boot only to bump into Nick.

"Whoa, baby, hey." He grabbed my shoulders and steadied me, our eyes meeting. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." My throat was dry and the words had to be forced past my lips. "Nothing is wrong." I pushed past him and he followed me down the steps to the outside.

"I've never seen you like this before at a scene. Are you sure you're okay?"

I ripped the gloves off my hands quickly. "Damn it, I forgot my kit."

"I'll get it for you in a minute." Nick grabbed my elbow and directed me to the side of the house that was free of cops. "If there's something bothering you, you know you can talk to me baby. You haven't been sleeping well lately, are you still having those dreams? You've said you don't like to talk about them but if that's what you need…"

I shook my head. "No, it's not that. I don't know what it is. I just…It's…" I inhaled and meeting his eyes decided to follow my gut and not my brain. "Sometimes I don't want to do this anymore."

"What do you mean? Your job?"

I shook my head again. "I don't know what I mean." But the truth was that I did and I wasn't talking about my job with the department. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Baby, if you're not happy…"

"I am." I reached out to touch the side of his face. "I am happy."

Nick grabbed my wrist in order to press his lips against the palm of my hand. "Why don't you see if Gris will let you take off for the rest of the night? Michael's more than capable of handling the shift, right?"

"You know I hate it when you suggest things like that."

"That's because you're stubborn." He released my hand and put distance between us as two cops walked by, not even seeing as us as they talked on the way to their cars. "And as much as I love that about you Angie, sometimes you have to know your limits."

"My limits are just fine." I snapped. "I had yesterday off. I'm fine." I ignored him frowning at me and avoided his eyes. He kept staring at me and I knew if I looked at him he would know exactly how much I was lying. It was dangerous to look at him when I was like this. I feared he would know. I feared he would see it; that he would see that part of me I was growing to hate.

"Did you decide what you wanted for your birthday?" My eyes snapped back to his and he smiled softly. "You forgot didn't you?"

How did one truly forget their own birthday? I hadn't given it one thought and even now it was the furthest thing from my mind. "I'm sorry Nicky; I've just…"

"Don't worry about it Angie, I'll take care of it." He leaned in to press his lips against my forehead. "I'll take care of you."

I wanted to believe him but I couldn't. For so long I had only trusted myself and even despite knowing how much he loved me I still struggled with giving everything I had to him. I wasn't lying; every day I woke up beside him, it made me want to leave the past behind. Perhaps it was time to let go of the things I couldn't change and focus on the things I could. This wasn't me, it couldn't be me, and I knew that Andy wouldn't want me to live my life like this.

I was starting to realize I didn't want to live my life like this.

"Baby?"

"Watch the pet names, we're at work." I smiled at him to soften my words. "I should go get my kit."

"I don't care where we are; you're my baby."

"Oh stop it." I smothered my smile as I entered the house, nodding at Grissom who passed me to approach Nick. The two fell into a conversation about the case and quickly I moved up the stairs.

By now the majority of staff had cleared out leaving the scene available for Nick and Grissom to tag, photograph, and document. As I collected my kit, I listened to the quiet atmosphere of the house and briefly wondered if the victim's panic-filled screams had filled the halls shortly before her death. Had she struggled? There was a time I gained pleasure in that, when the prey struggled after realization their time was up fully hit them. I enjoyed the struggle, the screams, and the look of fear in their eyes. I liked watching as the light faded from their eyes as death overcame their bodies.

Banishing the thoughts into a deep part of my mind and locking them away, I exited the master bedroom. My egress was halted however as I came face to face with a young girl standing in the middle of the hallway. She couldn't have been any older than five years old with long brown hair and large what was currently fear filled green eyes.

Unsure what to do I slowly dropped my kit onto the floor beside me before lowering myself onto my knees in order to bring myself to her level and hopefully not intimidate her more than I already had. "Hello there." I kept my voice low and calm. "My name is Angela, what's yours?"

She eyed me hesitantly and I didn't blame her. She had to have been in the house with the killer. It's quite possible she saw whoever it was kill her mother but somehow leave without completely finishing the job.

"I work for the police department." Slowly I flashed my illuminated coroner's badge. "See?" When she didn't move I started to rise to my feet again. "I'll just go get someone okay? Stay right here." _Right there, away from me is good. That's perfect little girl._

"Angela?"

Hearing Grissom's voice I started to alert him of my findings and couldn't have been more surprised when the girl launched herself at me. It was almost as if she turned into an octopus, limbs wrapping 

around me in a death like grip, and with wide eyes, I put my arms around her for balance and faced Grissom who had just come up the very last step.

"Oh my."

"I seem to have found the missing daughter."

"Would you like me to take her?"

I inhaled as the child tightened her grip on me, eyes locked on Grissom. "I don't think she wants that. It's okay." _It's really not. _"I've got her." _I don't want her. Kid, let up; you're cutting off my air and it's pissing me off. What is something children respond to? Oh, yes, names, right? _"Sweetheart, can you tell me your name?"

She didn't answer but instead buried her face in my neck. I looked over at Grissom with raised eyebrows and what I knew had to be the most helpless expression on my face.

"Get Nick to drive you two back." His gaze softened as he looked at the child. "See if Cassie would like something to drink or eat at the station and I'll see about bringing her some new clothes."

At hearing her name, Cassie looked over at him but there still was a certain amount of tension in her body that was being caused by fear. By the way she was reacting the intruder had to have been male. I was hit with the sudden urge to find out exactly who had scared her emotionally and taken her mother from her. The urge became rage but slowly returned to an uncomfortable level as she maintained her firm grip on my neck and waist.

"Kid, a little less kung fu and a little more air would be great right now." I mumbled as I started down the stairs with her. "If I pass out on the way down we're both gonna be in trouble."

It seemed as if I was getting through to her and she eventually loosened her grip by the time we had made it down the stairs. Perhaps it was the presence of Grissom in addition to being so close to where her mother had died that had made her skittish. Her weight became comfortable and I shifted her to my right hip as I exited the house, her arms around my neck and her head now resting against my chest.

"Angela?"

I looked over to see Nick staring at me with wide eyes and froze like a deer in head lights. _Well, there goes my master plan of not being seen with a random kid in my arms. _I watched as his gaze softened as he stared at us. _Do not get any ideas Nicky. These things are not returnable at the local Wal-Mart._

He started to come forward but when I shook my head he stopped, nodding in understanding. "You must be Cassie." He kept his voice soft. He watched as she buried her face in my neck to block the view of him out. She was visibly shaking in my arms. "Aw, you poor thing."

_I know, right? I'm not prepared for this and- Oh, you're talking about the kid. _"I need you to take us to the station. She's got a death grip on my neck and she's not really showing any signs of wanting to let go for right now."

"Want me to get your kit?"

"Grissom's got it."

"Okay." Concern was written clearly all over his face and something else lingered there that I chose to ignore as he gazed at me holding the little girl. He dug his vehicle keys out of his pocket. "Let's go."

1111111111111111

Ironically I found myself sitting in one of the interrogation rooms with Cassie on my lap and I watched in amusement as she gobbled down the crackers Greg had brought her. I wasn't entirely sure the Coke he had brought as well was the best thing for her at the moment but regardless I popped it up open for her.

When we had come back to the station another female officer had tried to take her from me but Cassie had started screaming and attempting to unconsciously choke me again so I had no choice but to continue holding her. Brass has escorted us to the room and now we were waiting on someone to come save me. _Okay, so maybe I'm the only one waiting on someone but that's beside the point._

It wasn't that I hated kids. I didn't dislike them at all and sometimes they could be amusing, but I really had no clue where to start when it came to interacting with them. They were so innocent and pure and I never wanted to be a cause for that to go away. After so many years of being a hard shell it simply wasn't that easy to be able to turn that off in order to gain some kind of maternal wisdom all of the sudden.

Society as a whole believed that women because of stigma and history had the desire and knowledge inside built in to be mothers but that just wasn't true. I wasn't meant to be a mother. Someone who takes life regardless of it being justified or not shouldn't give life. I didn't see it as fair to those that wanted kids of their own. What made me think I had the right to be like them when everything about me was so different to begin with?

Cassie slurped the Coke happily and I cringed. "Hey." I swiped the can from her. "We swallow, this isn't soup." Her little eyes peered up at me and I sighed as I handed the can back. "Just drink it, don't slurp, okay?"

She nodded and took several gulps from the can before sliding it back onto the table. Those eyes watched me but she still said nothing.

It made me frown without even realizing it. "Do you talk?" She didn't answer and I sighed. "Isn't it a rule that five year olds like to talk?" I rose to my feet and sat her down in the chair. "Kid, I'm not the best person to talk to… or stare at… so…"

"Mommy…"

I stopped and perched on the edge of the desk. "Mommy what?"

"My mommy died didn't she?"

_Well, there's a pretty good chance right now I'm going to say the wrong thing. _"I'm sorry." I spoke softly. "Can you tell me anything? Did you see who hurt your Mommy?"

Cassie blinked and I wanted to swear as tears filled her eyes. "I was scared for Mommy." She whispered. "Daddy was very angry."

"Your daddy hurt your mommy?" I watched her nod slowly. "I'm very sorry Cassie." I wasn't even sure she fully realized what had happened or the full meaning behind what I was saying; all I knew was that she understood that her mother was gone and never coming back to her. "Do you know where your daddy went?"

The door to the interrogation room opened and I glanced over my shoulder to see Grissom and Nick entering. I smiled as Nick handed me a bottle of water. "Thank you."

"Hey Cassie." Nick smiled warmly at the little girl now eying them. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

I watched her shift uneasily in her chair, those haunted eyes looking at me again. "It's okay Cassie; you can talk to them. They're here to help you." I stood up. "Why don't you tell them what you told me?"

In the past I would have prayed she keep quiet and give them nothing so that I could do some finding of my own but I was turning a new leaf. I was going to put my faith into the justice department again and concentrate on being that person I told myself I could be for Nick. Cassie would get justice, her father would go to jail like he deserved, and I would finally move on with my life. I needed to be happy and to actually live for once. I think I deserve it by now and even if I don't Nick sure does.

"Don't leave me!"

I froze at hearing the panic in her voice, hand tightening around my water bottle. "I'm sorry but I can't stay Cassie."

"But I'm scared."

"We're all scared sometimes Cassie but these two men want to help you. They can do more for you than I can." The words were heavy rolling off my tongue and I almost shuddered when thinking of how I hated to even say them. "You'll be okay. I promise."

"You won't let him hurt me?"

"I won't." I swore. "Neither will these two nice men or any of the men or women working in this building. You're perfectly safe here, okay?" I don't know what possessed me but I squatted down in front of her and took her hand in mine. "Everything is going to be okay Cassie but you have to be brave. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded and I squeezed her hand before I stood up. Grissom took a seat at the table and I looked over to see Nick gazing at me. I met that love-filled, longing gaze only a split second before I turned and exited the small room.

So intent on getting away as quickly as possible I didn't even notice Detective Miller standing there until I ran into him. I stepped back and he grabbed my arms in what I assumed he thought was a necessary move to keep me from falling. It wasn't; it was just annoying.

"Whoa, where's the fire?"

"Excuse me Detective."

"Terrible thing; what happened to her mother." He dropped his hands and slid them into his slacks pockets. "I can't help but imagine how terrified that little girl must have been."

"Terrified is a good way to describe it." I eyed him. "So you were either listening on the scanner, talking to a cop from the scene, or you were eaves dropping a couple seconds ago, which one is it?"

He flashed me an easy grin. "Can it be all three?"

"Fan of gluttony are we?"

"We all have sins."

I echoed his stance and slid my hands into my own pockets. "What's your favorite?"

His grin widened. "What's yours?"

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you." I flashed him a grin that was all teeth. "And being a coroner I think I might not have too difficult a task in being creative." I dropped the smile in an instant. "Now if you'll excuse me Detective…"

I didn't give him a chance to respond before I was walking off into the other direction. Something about that man rubbed me the wrong way but I pushed the feeling aside rather quickly; I had other things to deal with. Let Dara figure him out.

1111111111111111111

The house was dark when I entered through the front door. "Nick?" I shut the door and kicked off my shoes. "Fuddles?" There were no answers to my call, no barking or the tiny clicking of the dog's nails on the wood flooring. "Hello?"

Soft music began to play and frowning I moved to the dining room. My eyes widened at the sight of the table set up with plates and lit candles.

"Happy birthday baby."

I smiled at Nick in the doorway of the kitchen but I couldn't help laughing at seeing the oven mitt on his hand and the cooking apron he was wearing. "Awww, Nicky..." I moved forward into his arms. "This is the best present I've ever received."

"I know things were hectic today with the Tolliver case so I thought I'd make you something. It'd be better if it wasn't three in the morning but it'll have to do."

"Did you make progress on the case?"

"We did." Nick nodded. "Before I clocked out, Grissom told me they had arrested the father and he had confessed. Looks like a slam dunk case."

"And Cassie?"

"Her grandparents live in Nebraska and will be here tomorrow to pick her up."

"That's good at least." I sniffed the air, ready to put the case and uneasiness surrounding it out of my mind. "It smells delicious; what is it?"

"Momma sent me her famous lasagna and green beans recipe."

I chuckled and leaned in to brush my mouth against his. "Famous? My, my, pulling out all the stops. I love it." I nipped down on his bottom lip. "But I think I'd rather have a piece of the cook."

"That'll spoil your appetite baby. I promise you can have as much as you want for dessert."

"But what if I want dessert first?" I pouted as I pulled back. "I'm the birthday girl; shouldn't I get what I want?"

Nick chuckled and yanked off the oven mitt, tossing it onto the table. "You know you always get what you want when it comes to me." He kissed me quickly. "Let me blow out the candles."

"I know you went through all this trouble to cook me dinner so we can at least sit down for a bit and try it out." I pulled away when he went to kiss me again. "Young man, I said we're going to eat first."

"Baby, you kill me."

I stopped moving and came back to him to press myself against him, my hands cupping his face. "I love you."

"I love you too Angie."

I made the move to kiss him, the caress long and deep and I let him take over control as one kiss turned into two and then three. We were both breathing heavily when I pulled away again. "I'll go wash my hands." I paused. "Where's Fuddles?"

"He's across the street at Pamela's. Alyssa and Alicia are babysitting for us so we could have some privacy."

"They better give him back."

Nick burst out laughing and grabbed my wrist so he could pull me close and kiss me again. "You're amazing."

"Tell me something I don't already know." With a smile, I ventured into the hallway bathroom to wash my hands. I listened to him singing softly to himself as he filled our plates with food and placed them back on the table. When I came back, he held out my chair for me and I smiled as I sat down. "It looks great Nicky."

"I just hope it's good."

I picked up my fork and cut out a small piece of lasagna. Aware he was watching I blew on the serving and slid it slowly into my mouth, my eyes finding his as I pulled the fork out just as slowly. The muscle in his jaw jumped but he said nothing, merely continuing to watch as I swallowed and reached for the wine he had placed by my plate.

After a small sip, I smiled. "It's amazing."

Nick smiled proudly and reached for his beer. "I'm glad, eat up; I made a lot."

I drank the rest of the wine and lowered my empty glass back onto the table. "I'm full."

"What?" His eyebrows rose in surprise. He watched in confusion as I rose from my seat and with my foot I pushed his chair back from the table. "Angie…"

I straddled him, my legs on either side of his waist, my hands finding his shoulders. "I said I'm full." I lowered my mouth to his and his fork clattered loudly against his plate forgotten.


	12. Episode 2x12

**A/N: **_Reviews as always are adored and appreciated. Thank you to everyone so far that has left a word or two, keep those reviews coming and a hello to all of those who have joined lately on the alert lists, YES I SEE YOU. Lurkers are loved, reviewers get internet cookies and hugs! Best I can do on short notice. Enjoy this one (there is method to my madness, just be patient), I promise another update shortly before I take a week off to go Atlantic City for vacation! And yes, the title of the chapter denotes sarcasm; as Angela would say boys and girls, one cannot have too much of it... or was that sharp tools? I forget... Alas...  
_

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**Chapter Twelve: Reunited and It Feels So Good**

The procrastinator currently known as The Artist was lying low and I hated him for it. I wanted him to show his ugly face again because I wanted to see another creation and be dazzled by what he considered art. I actually wanted to appreciate it for what it was. The realization of that made me sick to my stomach because at the same time the last thing I wanted was another innocent person dead by his hands.

It was barely one in the morning on a Tuesday and I was sitting at Rita's Dinner with two empty coffee cups next to files I had taken from the office. Usually I would have argued to be able to work on my day off but lately I was willingly going with the flow and using that available time to do my own research on Nevada's now famous serial killer.

_Famous._ I snorted as I stared down at one of the crime scene photos. _You're making mistakes long as rope and they're going to hang you. _Was I talking to myself or The Artist?_ Good question._

Back on track now; I hated killers who thought what they did gave them bragging rights. Whether or not he put out fliers or simply doodled on the wall like an overgrown and neglected brat, he was bragging. _This guy is definite shit list material._

"Somehow I knew I'd find you here."

I looked up to see Warrick looming over me. I squinted. "Wow. You look like shit."

"Nice to see you too." Without waiting to be invited, he slid into the booth across from me. Eva wandered over and he smiled softly at her, the young woman blushing much to my amusement. "Coffee, please."

"More for you Angela?"

"Yes, thanks." I leaned back into the booth and watched Warrick shrug off his jacket. "When's the last time you showered?"

He glared at me and ran his hand over his hair. "This morning."

_Whatever you say liar. _"I heard you and Dara broke up." Who hadn't? It had spread all over the station like wild fire shortly after the Gedda case. It wasn't enough that Warrick had become obsessed with Gedda when the man was alive but after his death, Warrick's mission to find out who was at the top of the food chain consumed his life. He had walked away from Dara with some flimsy excuse in order to focus fully on his own personal task. What a shame; I guess some people can't multi-task like I can.

"We needed time apart, that's all."

_There's that flimsy excuse I was talking about. _"I also heard she's sleeping with her new partner Edward now."

"I don't want to talk about that."

"What would you like to talk about?" I cocked my head. "Would you like to talk about the fact that you're an idiot?"

Warrick snorted and accepted the cup of coffee Eva handed to him as she returned. As if feeling the sudden tension, she refilled my cup quickly and disappeared again. "What are you doing with the files from The Artist investigation? I didn't know you had clearance for these things."

"Let's play that game of you answer my questions and I'll answer yours, how about that?"

"Right and when we get to a question you don't want to answer you'll change the subject or say you have to go." He chuckled as he began to pour tons of sugar into his coffee. "Nice try but I've figured you out by now Angela."

I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of that statement but I kept my face free of any expression at all. "I thought you loved her."

"I did love her." He cleared his throat and dropped his spoon into his coffee. "I still love her but we're just on two different paths right now."

"You were fixated on Lou Gedda but he's dead. What's the path now? Seems to me you're at a dead end."

"He might be dead thanks to Daniel Prichard but who Prichard worked for isn't. I can't stop until I find this guy." Warrick stirred his coffee and lifted the cup to his mouth. After a sip, he cleared his throat as he lowered it back down onto the table. "I'm thinking that Prichard was used to double cross Gedda and frame me at the same time. Maybe Gedda knew something or maybe I was getting too close and whoever is at the top just wanted to tie up loose ends."

"So what you're saying is… to put it plainly… you were going after a tiny fish but instead it got eaten by a bigger fish before both of them got eaten by a big ass shark."

He frowned at me. "I wouldn't exactly look at it like that but…"

"But?" Chuckling, I fixed my own coffee, glancing up at him every so often. "Let's look at it another way then since you suck at analogies. Whoever ordered the hit on Gedda to frame you obviously has not only enough power to get decent, previously law abiding cops to do his dirty work but also enough power to sway mobsters to involve themselves in shady drug deals that lead without this higher up ever being touched with incriminating evidence."

"Well-"

"And despite knowing this you want to go after this person with guns blazing like you're in some Clint Eastwood movie all because you felt really bad about becoming a drug addict, sleeping with a stripper instead of your hot gun-wielding girlfriend, losing momentary respect from a lot of your colleagues, and most importantly, let's not forget the humiliation and embarrassment suffered at the hands of some over-the-hill fat mobster who obviously needed less fried chicken and more Jenny Craig; does that sound about right?"

"You can be a real bitch sometimes Angela; anyone ever tell you that?"

I smirked into my coffee cup as I took a long sip. "Only when I'm lucky."

Warrick grunted at that and signaled Eva so he could order some food, tossing down the menu a few minutes later when she walked away. "What would you suggest I do?" He cocked an eyebrow at me and paused. "Wait, you think Dara's hot?"

"Look at that, you are a man after all." I toyed with my cup. "She's not ugly, I'll give you that. The point is this Warrick, you've got a lot more going for you than this stupid case and if you continue to chase the tail on this thing, you're going to find it belonging to a pissed off cougar and not a rat like you expect."

"Will you quit with the damn analogies?"

"Why? Are you having trouble understanding them?" I leaned in and smiled. "Should I start drawing stick figures and shapes that represent objects?"

He chuckled into his own cup and reached out to grab one of the crime scene photos. "How can you eat with this shit in front of you?"

"I'm not eating."

"Well, you should; you're a stick figure yourself."

"The concern coming off you in nonexistent waves is flattering." I rolled my eyes and snatched the picture back before collecting them all and placing them into the folder they had originally been in. "Shouldn't you be hiding in some alley looking for clues Sherlock Holmes?"

"Shouldn't you be at your house waiting on Nick Betty Crocker?"

_Betty Crocker, that's a good one. _"Well, I'm not; I'm here."

Warrick smiled. "Well, I'm not; I'm here." He echoed.

"Why did you come here?"

"Why did you?"

"Peace and quiet; which I'm obviously not getting."

Eva brought his food out to him and I watched in silence as he dug in hungrily. It was obvious by his reactions that it had been a while since he had something that wasn't fast food or from a cold can. I imagined he had spent many nights in his new car parked in some dimly lit alley with a pair of binoculars and empty cups of coffee littering the dashboard.

_If I could count the number of times I did that myself… _"If you came here just to see me I'm flattered but this whole act of pretending to like me just to get my help is getting a little old."

Warrick looked up from his scrambled eggs. "I'm not pretending."

"Very funny Warrick."

"I'm not pretending." He repeated wiping his mouth with a napkin. "But I also didn't think it would be that big of a deal to ask for your help. It's a bit too late now seeing as how Gedda's dead and the case is closed but I don't see a reason why we can't dig a little more."

"A bullet in the back of the head is a pretty good reason to me."

He paused from stabbing the eggs with his fork. "You think someone will try to kill me if I keep digging?"

"It's an option; after all they did try to frame you. Why stop there?"

"I've lived in Vegas my entire life; I'm not scared."

"Maybe you should be."

He shoved eggs into his mouth and chewed quickly. "So you're saying I should walk away? Just let it go because Gedda is dead."

"We've had this conversation before Warrick but yes, I do. Your friends are worried about you."

"What about you? Are you worried about me?"

"I don't like you enough to be worried about you." I smiled to lighten my words. "Of course I am; you're important to Nick and that makes you important to me. I just want you to do the right thing and avoid finding yourself in trouble you can't get out of next time."

He drank the rest of his coffee. "I never did thank you for helping me out that night we found Gedda."

"Don't mention it." _I wasn't really doing it for you anyway._

"You'll have to let me repay you somehow."

"No thanks." I chuckled. "I don't have any need for Vicodin or Xanax at the moment."

His easy going smile slipped away. "I'm not doing pills anymore."

"I'm glad to hear that." _I actually am; there's one less distraction to worry about now._

Without a word, Warrick dug into his wallet and tossed down a twenty dollar bill beside his plate. "I should get going."

"So soon?" I remarked dryly. "But we were having so much fun."

With a snort, he shrugged on his jacket. "Look Angela, I'd appreciate if you didn't mention this to Nick."

I stood up to toss down money as well and grabbed the folder and my own jacket. "Mention what?"

"Exactly." He chuckled. When he saw my blank stare he sighed. "This… like, us meeting and stuff."

"We didn't meet. We happened to run into each other at the same place."

"I just don't want him to get the wrong idea, you know, about us."

I chuckled. "Us, right." With a wave to Eva, we started out of Rita's and towards the back parking lot where I noticed he had parked his Camaro beside my Toyota. "No need to worry. Your secret is safe with me." I joked. "Nick would laugh about it anyway. The person I think you should worry about is Dara."

"Let's agree to disagree and not talk about it."

"You really should go talk to her."

"She's fucking Edward now; I'm sure she's doing just fine without me."

"Warrick…"

"I don't have shit to say to her Angela so just drop it."

My spine stiffened at the angry tone in his voice and I clenched my keys in my hand. "Fine; I'm not Dr. Phil and I'm not your fucking mother so if you want to continue being miserable and living in your own little world unaware of anything but your own selfish agendas be my guest." I turned away from him and slammed my key into the door lock. "You have to be the most infuriating person I've ever met in my life and that's saying something."

I couldn't even open the door before he was twisting me to face him. "Who the fuck are you to talk to me like that?"

_I'm someone who just read you the back cover of her autobiography. _"First off, you don't grab me." I pushed his hand off my arm. "And secondly, I'm just someone who doesn't want to be autopsying your body any time soon so why don't you quit with the cops and robbers for five damn minutes and take care of yourself?"

"I'm infuriating?" He laughed. "You have to be the most infuriating person on this entire planet."

"Oh good comeback; real snappy!"

"And I do not have selfish agendas!"

"Says the man who's shunning friends and colleges but not the liquor bottle."

"Stop talking like you know me Angela or I swear to God-"

I took a step closer to bring my face inches away from his. "Or you swear to God what?"

He grabbed my arms but whatever he planned to do was lost as I caught sight of the figure behind him heading towards us at full speed. I pushed Warrick out of the way and barely had time to move before the man slammed his hand that held a knife directly onto my car hood. "You asshole, that's my damn car!"

The masked attacker yanked his knife free and surprisingly turned towards me.

"Angela!"

I jumped back to avoid the swipe of the blade and Warrick threw himself at the guy from behind, the two falling onto the parking lot surface. The blade slipped from the man's grip and slid across the gravel. Warrick managed to get in a few punches before the attacker seemed to gain his second wind. He pushed Warrick off and I ran over to kick the knife under my car the second I saw the man going for it.

Warrick had barely risen back to his feet again when the man lunged at me but I was ready this time. I bent to yank the blade I always kept in my boot free and slammed it into the top of his shoe. He howled with pain and I yanked the knife out as he collapsed onto the ground. I watched him clutch his foot, swearing loudly as he rocked back and forth. I couldn't help but smirk.

"You okay?"

I looked over at Warrick and tired to ignore the urge to watch the blood drip down the blade of my knife. "I'm okay, you?"

"I've been better. Who the hell is this guy?"

"Let's ask him."

"Angela, stop." He blocked me from moving closer. "There are some cuffs in my car; go get them."

I scowled and slowly lowered my knife. "A please would be nice."

"Angela!"

"Alright, I'm going; I'm going!" I mumbled. "Not like he's going anywhere."

I returned a few seconds later to find him snapping his cell phone shut and I tossed the cuffs at him. Blade still in my hand, I watched him restrain the guy and jerk him to his feet. Warrick pulled off the mask but I didn't recognize the face of the young man underneath.

"You got a name hot shot?"

"Fuck you." He spat. "I don't have to say shit to you."

I chuckled and jiggled the knife. "Fuck you, that's original. If you want to go that route be my guest. I can find ways of making you talk."

"Angela, stop it." Warrick pushed the man against his car. "I've called it in. Brass will be here at any second." He eyed me and the knife. "You always carry that thing around?"

"What can I say?" I shrugged as I dug a napkin out of my pocket and wiped the blood off the blade. "Weapons are a girl's best friend." I put my foot against the bumper of my car and slid the knife back into my boot. I cocked an eyebrow as I caught Warrick watching. He cleared his throat and looked away.

_So much for a quiet night of research._


	13. Episode 2x13

**A/N: **_Back from vacation! I had a wonderful time. Sorry about not posting again before I left but things were hectic. More updates coming faster I promise. As for now ignore any mistakes you find and enjoy. _

**Chapter Thirteen: Your Enemies are My Enemies **

"We really have to stop meeting like this." Brass remarked dryly. He watched two uniforms take our attacker away before he flipped open his notepad and eyed the two of us sitting on the curb. "Who wants to start?"

"See, Warrick and I started this vigilante gang and-" Brass smirked at me and I returned the favor. "I was eating, Warrick came into eat, we started to head out and this guy just came out of nowhere."

"Neither of you have ever seen him before?"

Warrick shook his head. "As she said, he just came out of nowhere and he had a knife." He pointed at my car. "During the struggle, Angela managed to kick it out of the way."

Brass nodded and jotted down a few things on his pad. "So how exactly did the man manage to get stabbed in the foot?"

_I wished it?_ I reached down to pull out my blade and he cocked an eyebrow. "It's dangerous for a girl to be out unprepared at night in Vegas; you know that Brass."

"Normal people carry mace."

_Normal people, that's a good one. _"I've never been a fan of mace, always worried I would inadvertently spray myself in the eyes."

He motioned for a bag and unfortunately motioned at me to drop the knife in it. "We'll get it back to you as soon as we can."

"You better; I like that knife. It slices and it dices." I joked. I wasn't exactly sure why I was joking but it had been a long night and the feeling of tiredness combined sudden adrenaline pumping through my veins was a bad combination. I saw Warrick smirking at me. "Well it does."

"I'm glad you find being attacked funny."

I directed my attention past Brass to see Ecklie. "Not as half as funny as that tie you're wearing." Warrick nudged me with his elbow and I cleared my throat trying to ignore the scowl on Ecklie's face. "Sir."

"Why is it when there's trouble I find you two in the thick of it?"

"We're just lucky I guess."

Ecklie snorted and surveyed the scene, his eyes locking on the bag that held my knife. "You are aware we have knife laws in this state aren't you Ms. Wilkins?"

"It's not a dirk, a dagger, or a machete, it isn't over six inches and it's not an integral part of my belt buckle." _Believe me I know the laws concerning weapons._ I squinted at him. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I can't help but be curious as to why trouble appears when you two are together. Why are you here in the first place?" He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Does Nick know you're here?"

"Good one, he might find out I'm having breakfast when he's at work. Oh, the insanity of it." I stood up from the curb and Warrick rose as well. "My personal business is just that Ecklie." I shifted my attention to Brass. "Are we done here?"

He nodded and snapped his pad shut. "Yep; it's an open-shut case of self-defense if I ever saw one."

"Hey, is the damage to my hood covered under worker's comp?"

Warrick chuckled and we turned away to approach our cars. "They bitch when we ask to get the coffee pot fixed so I seriously doubt that."

"Is there any reason why someone associated with Gedda would try to kill you?"

My escape was halted by Ecklie's question and I turned to face him again at the same time as Warrick. "Excuse me?"

He was looking directly at me. "Your attacker's name is Douglas Rays. He's a known associate of Lou Gedda; usually a muscle man. Is there any reason why he'd attack you?"

"Who's saying I was the target? Maybe Warrick was his target and I just got in the way?"

"Douglas Rays for starters."

I couldn't hold back my laughter. "That's a good one; why in the world would Lou Gedda, who is dead by the way in case you missed the press conference, want people coming after me?"

"That's a good question Ms. Wilkins; why would he?"

"How would I know?"

Warrick clamped his hand down on my shoulder. "Angela, cool it for a second."

"Did you know him?" I glared at Warrick as obviously satisfied with himself Ecklie walked away. "You said you didn't know who he was but if he's part of Gedda's group then you obviously lied to me."

He lowered his hand. "I didn't recognize him at first; I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you are." I stalked away but was halted at the sight of Nick flashing his laminate and shoving his way past a uniformed cop. "Oh this should be good."

"Angela!" Nick rushed over and grabbed my arms. "I came as soon as I could. Are you hurt?" He looked over at Warrick. "Hey man, you okay?"

"I'm fine Nick."

His attention went back to me immediately. "What in the world happened?"

"Am I going to get to answer any of these questions or are you going to just keep going?" I smiled to soften my words. "I'm fine, there's no reason to-"

"No reason?" His eyebrows rose. "You could have been hurt or worse! What were you thinking; Brass told me you had a knife? When did you start carrying around a knife?"

"I think you just added like four more questions."

"Angela." He shook me gently. "This is serious!"

"Nick, stop." I rested my hands on top of his and squeezed his fingers. "I'm fine, Warrick's fine, that dude has a hole in his foot, and Ecklie has on the ugliest tie I've ever seen…" I started to laugh and could hear Warrick chuckle behind me.

"Why is this funny?" Nick looked at Warrick with raised eyebrows. "And how exactly did this happen? I had no clue you guys went to eat together all the time; when did this stuff start happening?"

"It's not stuff." I argued with a shrug. "We just happened to be here at the same time, that's all."

"What's funny about this? Either of you could have been seriously hurt."

"Well, we're not and I don't care what that guy says, I'm not the target of some dead guy." I pointed at Warrick. "That's your weird ass obsession."

Warrick scratched at his chin in thought. "It's not Gedda obviously."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, you mean the mysterious puppet master."

"If he's targeted you Angela, it could become a serious problem."

_Yeah, badly for him when I fuck his shit up. _"For the last time I'm be fine, seriously. He probably just said that stuff about me to throw Brass off and get more time in holding before they charge him." I reached out to pinch Nick's chin. "Turn that frown upside down."

"I don't know what's gotten into you but this could have ended very badly Angela."

_Eva must have put something in my coffee cause the very last thing I'm worried about right now is some big wig targeting me. Just give me one justified reason to come out and play; just one, that's all I need. _"I think it's time for you to go back to work."

"Oh no." He shook his head. "I already told Grissom if you needed me I wasn't coming back."

"I do not need a babysitter over this!"

"I didn't say-"

"Yeah, you kinda did."

He shot Warrick a look and the other man instantly held up his hands. "Baby…"

"There's no need for you to take off early from work. Besides, it'd just give Ecklie another reason to bitch and if I have to stare at the ugly tie and answer any more of his stupid questions I'll go nuts." I pressed my lips against the corner of his mouth and took a step back before anyone saw us. "Go back to work and when you get home you can tell me all about worrying the entire time you were away and blah blah blah."

"And blah blah blah?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I teased.

Nick couldn't suppress his smile and he sighed. "I'm just glad you're both alright."

"Me more than him right?" I jabbed my thumb at Warrick.

"Hey! I can hear you."

"You can?" I questioned. "So you can hear the next part where I say I'm glad you discovered soap in the past week and just might graduate up to shampoo and deodorant?"

"Angie!"

I grinned. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." I paused. "Isn't that in a song? Never mind, did you see what the asshole did to my car?"

Nick whistled as he surveyed the hole left behind by the knife blade. "That had to be one sharp knife. I think Warrick knows of a good body shop don't you man?"

"I sure do. I can hook you up Angela; it'd be my pleasure seeing as how you saved my life and all, again."

"I have been doing that a lot lately haven't I?" I snapped my fingers. "All those chances to get rid of you, foiled by own weakness! You're lucky you're good looking."

"What?" Nick and Warrick asked together.

"The unattractive are less likely to be saved in dangerous situations then pretty ones, it's a fact in some book somewhere."

"I'm sure it is."

"Well if it's not it should be."

Nick covered his mouth as he chuckled. "Baby, that's an awful thing to say."

"Hey, I didn't make the rules." I shrugged. "Besides, I was attacked tonight by a guy in a ski mask. I think I deserve a bit of leeway. A ski mask, in Nevada, that's just ridiculous."

"Stokes!" Brass was waving at us. "Let's go; Grissom needs you."

"Duty calls."

I smiled in agreement. "And you must go."

"Don't look so happy about it."

I stopped smiling and pouted. "Is this better?"

"No." Nick groaned. "Stop that."

I should probably stop while I'm ahead, this sudden level of silliness unlike me but so enjoyable to express at the moment that I found I couldn't stop. I was tired, someone had tried to kill me…again, and people were starting to look at me funny just because I carried a knife around in my boot. It was a good thing I wasn't a paranoid person. I guess it was the reason for me to act so relaxed and let out words I'd normally keep inside my head for my own personal amusement. At least Nick looked more relaxed and as an added bonus I didn't look as scary. Not that it really mattered; I didn't care.

Right?

13131313131313

Michael was humming a song I couldn't name and it was pissing me off. After twenty minutes I swiveled on my stool to face him where he stood working on a body. As if sensing the attention he looked up and paused his cutting motions. "What?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "What'd I do?"

_Good question suspect; what did you do between the hours of waking up and going to sleep? Hell, what'd you do in your sleep? Sleep killing! That's right; I'm onto you. _

"Your humming sucks."

_Okay, no more of Greg's coffee cause I am all over the place verbally today. _

"Whoa, really?"

"Yeah, Neo, really." I slid the stool closer to the slab. "What's the title of the song you were just humming?" He blushed and my curiosity meter shot through the roof. "Come on, spill; tell me your dirty little secret." _Tell me all of your dirty little secrets._

Michael looked down trying to avoid my gaze. "Toxic."

"Toxic what?"

"Yeah, you know, Toxic? With the taste of your lips, I'm on a ride? Toxic." He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Britney Spears?"

"Are you serious?!" _Scratch that whole Michael is the serial killer idea I had going, no way in hell. He might be something alright but it wasn't a killer of anything, unless you counted eardrums. _

"It was on the radio like twenty times today, sue me!"

"Sure it was." I smirked as I pushed off the slab and slid backwards on the stool. "It was playing on your car radio that conveniently has a CD player in it, you big girl!" I swiveled with a laugh and didn't stop the stool as it did a complete circle to finish with me facing him again. "I'm bored; I wish someone would just die already."

Michael actually burst out laughing. I didn't hide my smile. "You are too much Angela."

"You have no idea."

"Now why did you have to say something like that? It's a rule that guys always have to reply with something sexual."

"You've been hanging around Henderson way too much lately. Whatever he tells you, nod and smile but take it with a grain of salt."

"Hey now, I like the guy."

"Me too but seriously, those rules haven't gotten him laid since 1983." I swiveled around in the chair again only stopping when the morgue doors opened and Detective Miller appeared. "Just the person I really didn't care about seeing today." He cocked an eyebrow at me as Michael laughed and I smiled slowly. "I'm kidding of course."

Edward glanced around the morgue. "Looks dead in here tonight."

"Oh, good one; that's one I haven't heard in awhile." I stood up and kicked the chair under the counter. "How may I be of service to you Eddie? The vending machines and leftover doughnuts are one floor up."

He narrowed his eyes at me and I almost laughed. "Is there a reason for your sudden hostility towards me Angela?"

"Hmm, a reason?" I tapped my finger against my chin. "Now why would I have any reason to be hostile towards you? Michael?" I looked at my assistant. "Any clue?"

"I've always been a fan of that Rumors song by Lindsay Lohan."

Edward and I both looked at Michael who shrugged. "You're such a girl." I mumbled turning my head back in Edward's direction. "Rumors, good one. How about pesky rumors spread about me and Warrick of all people? That might be a good enough reason to be hostile."

"I've never spread any lies."

I felt like a cat toying with a mouse before it went in for the kill and considering I had cut back on actually killing lately, it felt REALLY satisfying. "See, the thing about this department is nothing stays a secret. You tell one person one thing and suddenly everyone knows; we're our own small town." I smiled thinly at him. "Make any more snide comments to Dara or anyone else about Warrick following me around like a puppy dog and I'll make sure they are the last ones you make."

His eyes flared at me and he stepped forward. "Unfortunately for you threats don't scare me."

I matched his step forward with my own and ignored Michael shifting uncomfortably. _Hey, at least he's got the slab to use as a shield if necessary, the body too if he gets creative enough. _"What's really the reason you're here Eddie? You get lost? I know buildings with multiple doors can be quite tricky for men like you."

"Guys…"

"Not now Michael, I'm in the middle of duking it out with Eddie over here."

"Stop calling me Eddie."

"Why Eddie? Does it bring back bad memories? Let me guess, your mother used to call you Eddie, is that it?"

We were almost nose to nose by this point. "My mother didn't call me anything; she died when I was young."

"That would explain a few things."

Michael was suddenly squeezing his hands in between us and pushing us both back several steps. "Oookay, things are escalating badly here so let's just calm down."

"Great idea, here's another one; get your hand off my breast."

"Shit, shit I'm sorry!" He yanked his hands back, his skin turning almost the color of a tomato. "I didn't mean to do that."

"That something else Henderson taught you?" I smirked and looked back at Edward to find him watching me curiously. "What? If you want an apology you won't get one."

He actually smirked back at me. "Are you always this confrontational?"

"Only with people I don't like." I shot back. "Guess what that means?" I chuckled and jerked the stool out again. "So if you're done standing there and taking up space we have work to do Eddie."

"Actually you need to come with me and fill out some papers." Edward readjusted his badge and his gun where they hung on his belt. By the look on his face I knew he wanted nothing more than to take out that gun and use it that very second.

"Papers? What papers?"

"Finalization for what happened at Rita's the other night; Ecklie passed the file on to me to finish."

I grumbled as I shoved the stool away again. "Ecklie and his big dumb bald head. I'm surprised he fits through doors anymore." I glared at Edward as he chuckled. "And exactly why couldn't you have just brought them to me?"

"Maybe I want the pleasure of your company."

I snorted and didn't thank him as he opened the door for me. He irritated me by keeping his pace slow and casual as we made our way down the hall. I wanted to kick him in the ass when he chose the stairs instead of the elevator. Tapping my fingers against my thighs, I maintained his steady pace just to show him he wasn't getting to me.

"Are you okay?" He motioned to my fingers. "You seem nervous."

_Oh I am so kicking you down the stairs when we get to the top. _"I've got a song stuck in my head."

"Oh yeah? What song?"

"Aw, that's really cute; you don't have to pretend to own a radio Eddie. I know they don't pay you detectives enough for all your hard work."

He paused as we were halfway up the stairs and I had no choice but to stop as well. "One, they really don't. Two, I own a radio and for your information a television as well and three, I get it."

"Get what?"

"You're engaged to Nick who is best friends with Warrick so there's obviously this obligation to feel hostile towards me concerning Dara."

I could have sworn my eyebrows were touching my hairline by this point. "You fucking Dara is not the reason I feel hostile towards you." I reached out to poke his chest. "I'm pissed because you're insinuating that Warrick is all up my ass and I'm enjoying it."

"So he's not?"

I poked him again. "Knock it off."

"Because I see how he follows you around and always seems to be in the same places as you, especially when there's trouble." He grabbed my wrist as I went to poke him again in objection and I narrowed my eyes as he brought us closer with the move. "Is that what it's all about Angela? Are you a woman who likes trouble?"

"You're about to become a woman yourself if you don't release me."

Edward smirked down at me. "Why? Is the close proximity making you nervous?"

"Actually I feel a bit nauseated." I yanked my wrist free and pushed him away. "You need gum." Without a second glance I marched up the stairs and gritted my teeth at hearing him chuckling before he began to follow. _Asshole. I should hit you in the parking garage with my car and claim I never saw you standing there. Ecklie hiring an asshole, imagine that!_

He reappeared to grab my elbow. "My desk is this way Sweetheart."

"Call me Sweetheart again and I'm going to keep my promise about making you into a woman." I shifted away from him, his touch making me uneasy. I wasn't exactly sure what Dara saw in him beside his looks, and granted he was an extremely good looking man, but his attitude ruined it for me. Edward Miller was a cocky, rude bastard if I ever saw one and since the day Fucklie had hired him, he had been nothing but annoyingly everywhere I turned. _Fucklie, ha! Good one, high five! But not right now, people are watching._

I was laughing to myself as I sat down in the chair by his desk. I glanced over to see Greg next to Hodges across the hallway and waved, Hodges quick to wave back. Greg rolled his eyes before he waved and then he disappeared from sight. A second later my phone vibrated in my lab coat pocket. I scooped it out to see his number and smirked as I flipped it open to see he had text me: I 3 you Angel Cakes.

"That from your fiancé?"

I snapped the phone shut and Edward leaned back. "Mind your own business Sherlock."

He smirked and leaning back in his chair tapped his pen against his desk. "I do believe Ecklie frowns on that kind of stuff."

"News flash Eddie, that frown is permanent. He has no other facial expression being he's void of emotions." I crossed my legs and shoved the phone back into my jacket.

"Angel Cakes, interesting nickname."

I glared at him and smiled only when the flash of tackling him into the floor in order to throttle him entered my mind momentarily. "Having problems figuring it out Eddie?"

"You can stop with the Eddie shit now Angela." His voice lowered, tone growing firm and the look in his eyes just as tough. "And quit with the fucking games."

Something inside me clicked, a darker part growling in response to his unspoken challenge. I forced myself to relax but the tension inside didn't decrease, my heart still beating faster and that tight coil in the pit of my stomach still lingering. I let that other part of me take control for only a second as I leaned in as well, a sly smile crossing my otherwise serious face. "And here I was thinking you liked games."

Edward sat back again. "I enjoy games from time to time."

"You certainly play them enough." I didn't try to stop the yawn that came out of my mouth. "So, papers? Do you have them or did you just lie, again?"

He chuckled and pulled out a drawer, handing me two sheets before he passed me his pen. "Fill out each section and then sign your name. It's just a follow up procedure Ecklie has implemented for employees involved in off the clock incidents."

"He's just covering his ass; that's all he ever does." I filled out the papers as I tried to ignore the way he was watching me. "Knock that off, it's creepy."

"Sorry." Edward chuckled and scratched at his chin. "It's part of the job description."

"Too bad showering regularly and brushing your teeth isn't right?" I looked up as he started to laugh. _Why are you laughing? That's pissing me off. Heck, everything about this guy is pissing me off._

"You're something else. I can see why Dara likes you so much."

I finished the first sheet and handed it to him before going on to the second. "Where is Dara anyway?"

Edward continued to watch me but not as closely as he was before. "She's wrapped up in The Artist case as well as some cold cases. I'm trying to thin out random files around here as well as cold cases since The Artist hasn't struck lately. Can't go on new information when there isn't any and for now the first two victims have given us nothing."

I handed him the second sheet. "Shame." He cocked an eyebrow at me and I cursed at myself for making myself too relaxed. _It never benefited to forget one's surroundings Angela, you're slacking big time_. "It's a shame they haven't caught him yet." I amended. "We're dealing with one sick bastard. All things considering, this is a pretty big case to take on for your first here at the department, you must be excited."

"Terribly; it's a great opportunity." He put the sheets into a folder and placed them into his In Box sitting on the corner of the desk. "Nothing beats the thrill of the chase, don't you agree?"

"I wouldn't know." I smiled thinly.

"Certainly you made Nick chase you a bit before giving into him did you not?"

"What I did or didn't do concerning Nick isn't any of your business Eddie." His name came out dripping with sarcasm and I rose to my feet. "Are we done here or does Ecklie have something else for me to waste my time with?"

He rocked back with that annoying smug smile on his face again. "Nope, we're all done here. It was nice talking to you Angela."

I rolled my eyes. "You know it."

"I'll tell Dara you said hello when I see her."

"You do that." I smiled back just as smugly. "And while you're at it, you can tell her I think her new boyfriend is a first class douche bag."

I forced myself to walk away from the desk; impressive really considering at that moment I wanted nothing more than to turn around and kick him out of that stupid chair.


	14. Episode 2x14

**Chapter Fourteen: The Usual**

It always amazed me how a network could offer up to three hundred channels and there still be nothing on television worth watching. Most of the shows were reality based and that was one thing I could deal with having less. With a dissatisfied sigh I continued to flip through the endless selection of channels.

The jingling of keys in the door had me shutting off the television and with my knees on the couch and my hands grabbing the back, I watched as Nick stepped inside the house. "Hello."

"Hey babe." He lowered his keys onto the foyer table and shrugged off his jacket, his favorite baseball cap still on his head. "I can't believe how hot it is outside. I thought I was going to melt." He came forward to wrap his arms around me, the back of the couch between us.

I slid my hands along the line of his belt, palms pressing against the hard warmth of his stomach. "It's getting pretty hot in here too."

"Is it now?" Nick grinned broadly and flattened his hands against my back. "I guess we should try to cool off."

"I guess so." Returning the grin, I twisted the hat so it was backwards. I brushed my lips against his and let out a small satisfied sigh at feeling the spark that had always been there at experiencing the simple touch of his lips against mine. I let Nick take control of the situation with the simple tilting of my head and he responded by slipping his hands under my shirt as he peppered kisses down my neck. "Nicky?"

He nuzzled his face into my neck, lips pressing against my skin. "Yeah baby?"

"What do you think of Dara's new partner?"

He pulled back to stare at me, light frown on his face. "Edward? He's alright; why?"

"Just alright? There's nothing… off about him or strange?"

"Baby, where is all of this coming from?" He was still frowning as he took a step away from me. "We were in the middle of something and you bring up Dara's partner of all people?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"Whether you did or not the idea that you were thinking about something else when I was touching you is a bit unsettling." He tugged off his hat and ran his hand over his closely-shaved head. "Why are you even asking about Edward in the first place?"

"I don't like him. I was just trying to make sure I wasn't the only one who thinks he's an asshole."

Nick chuckled as he tossed his hat onto the couch. "And why is he an asshole?"

"Oh please, that I'm so better than everyone attitude is a dead giveaway." I snorted. "And now he's acting like an even bigger cocky ass all because he's banging Dara."

"I really don't think that's any of our business and it's definitely not something I want to think about."

I cocked an eyebrow at him as I settled my weight onto my bent legs. "Is the idea of Dara having sex gross?" I continued as he sputtered his objection. "And are you honestly saying it shouldn't be a concern that she's messing around with Detective Asshole when we both know she's still got a thing for Warrick and vice versa?"

"I didn't say anything like that but if she wanted to be with Warrick, she'd be with him."

"He left her Nick."

"In his defense baby, Dara took him asking for space with a grain of salt all because of this Artist case."

My eyebrows rose and I stood up from the couch. "If you think her reaction to him just up and leaving her was taken with a grain of salt, I feel really bad for your co-workers. The man has no defense; he left her so he could continue with this stupid Gedda mole obsession. And I don't think we can easily forget the whole drug and alcohol abuse issue too; is that part of his defense as well? Sorry Dara, I would have concentrated on you more but I kept forgetting due to excessive drinking and pill popping."

Nick's eyebrows furrowed. "He's not popping pills anymore so stop using that as a crutch and yes, in his defense; he's my best friend, of course I'm going to defend him!"

"Dara was miserable when he left and she still is. I don't have to be a CSI to see that but if you want to continue being oblivious be my guest." I moved away from the couch to enter the kitchen and he immediately followed. I jerked open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water from a side shelf. "The only defense Warrick is going to need is one appointed by the department."

"If Dara was so upset by him leaving, she sure didn't react that way. It was what? Less than a month before she started sleeping with Edward? I don't even like to think about it but if something happened between us you can bet I wouldn't give up until I had you back."

I paused from sipping the cold water to stare at him. _It wouldn't be that hard to find me; you can't go all that far when you're in a cell. Fuck, look what you have done Angela. _I pushed back the voice and lowered the bottle. "Warrick isn't interested in that obviously because he's too busy chasing ghosts at the moment Nicky. He can't expect Dara to just wait for him to change his mind or come back when he's done playing Inspector Gadget."

Nick leaned against the kitchen counter with a sigh. "Why are we always fighting about Warrick?" He ran his hands over his hair. "I don't have anything against Edward; he might be cocky but he's good at his job and so far he's the person Dara wants to be with so let's just leave it at that. As for Warrick, I'm his friend and I'm going to be there for him just like he's always been there for me. I've known him for almost twelve years and I'm not going to give up on him now."

"I didn't say that you-"

"I know you don't like him and while it's tough to hear, that's fine; it's your choice." He tugged his hat back on and straightened up. "But I don't want to talk about him anymore if you're just going to slam him every chance you get."

"I never said that I-"

"You know what, if you hate the man so much stop being in the same place at the same time with him, how about that?" Nick suddenly shot back at me. "Because frankly for all this so-called dislike you have for him, I'm getting a little tired of hearing rumors and being asked about the two of you."

I tightened my grip on my bottle. "Now you're being ridiculous."

"Am I?"

"I can't stop the work rumor mill but that's all they are, rumors. I don't hate Warrick. I'm not out to slam him every chance I get and I'm certainly not out to fuck him but it's nice to see how much you fucking trust me." _Trusting a serial killer, that's a good one isn't it Angela? _I gritted my teeth. "Edward is the one starting those stupid rumors in the first place hence me asking you what you thought about him."

"Do you even have proof of that or are you just saying that because you think he's an asshole? Besides, he's not who I've been hearing shit from in the first place."

I slammed the bottle onto the counter. "Let me guess, Catherine? Wendy? Any number of people who have nothing better to do with their time then make up shit?"

"I never talk to Wendy unless it's about a case and suggesting Catherine is just insane! She actually likes you and asks about us all the time."

"I bet. I bet she's all concerned about whether or not we're still together. She's a cougar if I ever met one." My anger was taking over every part of me and my fight or flight instinct kicked in full blast. I had to get out of there before I said or did something I would regret later. "I'm going out."

"The hell you are Angela; we're not done talking." He followed me from the kitchen and grabbed my arm to swing me to face him. "I'm not going to go to work later with this still on my mind!"

"Well by my watch you have at least four more hours before you clock in so you should be just fine!"

He grabbed my other arm so I couldn't turn away from him. "I want to start planning the wedding."

I was almost shocked into silence; out of all the things I expected him to say that wasn't one of them. "You what?"

"I do trust you because I love you and I think we should just start planning, get married, and if people want to still talk, let them." He grabbed my hands in his. "Once we're married things will be easier at work, here…"

"Here?" I gazed at him with confusion I knew he saw due to the way his face softened.

"It's been stressful lately baby and we've been fighting more and I think it has a lot to do with problems at work. I hate that we've both been bringing work home with us. I can't help but feel like it's getting in the way."

_Too bad I've always brought my work home with me. _"But a wedding…" I swallowed. "That takes a lot of work and preparation."

"I've got an idea; why don't we both take off some time and work on it together? Your parents are flying in soon; maybe they can help too. Wouldn't you like that? I'm sure your mother would be thrilled. Hey, I know." He smiled and squeezed my hands. "Why don't I see if my mom can take some time off to come visit? She can meet your parents!"

_Get out the smelling salts because I'm going to faint. _"Oh, I don't know if that's such a great idea." I winced. _Is the room spinning or is that just me? _"Your mom is probably really busy and my mom just takes over everything; I mean, if I thought birthdays were an ordeal..." I let my voice trail off. "And taking time off? I don't know; the cases are stacking up and with The Artist still on the loose…"

Nick sighed as he released my hands. "Don't you want to get married?"

_I suddenly understood men hating women continuously asking if an article of clothing made their ass look fat. It's not the article, it's the ass; how exactly does one say that nicely? _"Of course I do." I reached out to put my hands on his shoulders and I ran them slowly down his arms in a maneuver I hoped was soothing. "But I'm just not sure I want some big, elaborate wedding. We have a lot of things to talk about before we start planning; you and me, not you, me and our parents."

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

Knowing the situation was growing calm and we had both distracted ourselves with the original theme of the argument, I took his hand in mine and pulled him back to the couch. I lowered myself down beside him and snuggled into his side as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"I never thought of myself as a big wedding type of person." _Or a wedding type at all after Dlyan…_ "But I know you want your family and your friends to be there. I'm not against that." I chewed on my bottom lip. "I won't have that many people on my side, that's all."

"Don't think like that. It's our friends, not just my friends. Inviting Warrick and Dara might be tricky but…"

I placed my hand against his chest and tilted my head up so our eyes met. "Whatever you're told or whatever you hear…"

He pressed his lips against mine to stop me. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that."

"That night at Rita's; we ran into each other and we talked. He's just having a hard time letting this go…" _I can relate to that._ "It's made him a very angry, bitter person." _I can relate to that as well._ "We never have truly gotten along but despite that, I guess… I guess I feel bad for him, that's all."

"I don't want you going back to Rita's, baby. That place is dangerous. Brass gets calls for that area at least three times a day."

"I like eating there."

"It's dangerous. The last time…"

I rolled my eyes as I rested my head against his shoulder. "That guy wasn't even from that neighborhood Nicky. I've been going there for a while now and no one has bothered me."

"That guy posted bail." Nick sighed clearly frustrated. "I don't like the idea of him being out there to try again. He could have seriously hurt you or worse."

"Well he didn't."

"Doesn't it bother you at all? I mean, you talk about Warrick's obsession but if what the guy says is true, he wasn't there for Warrick that night, he was there for you. Someone doesn't want either one of you digging around in their business. I think you both should consider lying low for a while."

_I've got a better idea; it's messier but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. _"I promise to do no more digging." I lied.

"And Rita's?"

"I'm still going to enjoy the sandwiches." I chuckled as he let out a dramatic sigh and tilted his head back against the couch. It allowed me to kiss his neck and I smirked as he twisted me to sit on top of his lap. I looped my arms around his neck. "I like keeping an eye on the place; this waitress Eva works there and sometimes she brings her son into work with her."

"Maybe you should try to find her a better job."

"Maybe she's tried and no one has hired her so she's been stuck at Rita's for eight years."

He cocked and eyebrow at me as he went to stroke hair back behind my ear. "So you have tried."

"It's not like I particularly enjoy going over to that part of town Nicky but the service is good and the food doesn't taste like it's been nuked and reheated." I knocked his hat off his head and watched it tumble into the floor. "Oops."

"You're gonna pay for that Woman."

"Oh yeah?" I grinned. "How much did it cost? Six bucks and some odd change?" I cracked up laughing as he growled and twisted us so my back rested flat against the sofa. "Oooh, that kind of payment."

Laughing, he rested his forehead against my shoulder and I allowed my hands to stroke his back. I closed my eyes but the moment of relaxation didn't last very long before he was extracting himself from my limbs and standing up.

"Where do you think you're- Nick!" He bent to grab me and a second later I was hanging upside down from over his shoulder. "Not that I mind the view, but hey!" The smack of his hand against my ass made me gasp in surprise and he was laughing as he carried me down the hallway to our bedroom.

1414141414141414

Michael Richardson had to be one of the most boring people I had ever met. I had been trailing him on his day off for almost three hours so far and it was official; he had completely wasted time I would never get back. Sunglasses shading my eyes, I stayed a good distance behind him as he strolled through the downtown market. So far he had eaten at a Chinese restaurant known for its noodles, paid a ridiculous amount for one cup of coffee, and spent some time watching a version of Hamlet being done by college kids on some random street corner.

_If you don't stop boring me I'm going to kill you just for something to do. _I yawned and stopped as he paused at a booth selling jewelry. _Imagine the headlines: The Artist enjoys frilly things like star pendants and incense. _I snorted at the thought and coughed when some woman shot me a strange look as she passed me. _Slick Angela. Next time wear a sign: Pay me no mind; I'm busy stalking._

He shook his head as the vender offered him what I could only assume was a discount price. _Good boy. _The second he started to move again I did as well, only looking away to check my watch. _One more hour and I'm giving up, this is getting ridiculous._

My phone vibrated against my hip and I unclipped it from my belt. Answering? Not so high on my list of priorities but regardless I found myself flipping it open. "Wilkins and you're annoying."

"Um, I'm sorry?"

I chuckled and readjusted my sunglasses. "What can I do for you Hodges?"

"I'm trying to get in touch with Dara with some test results but she's not answering. I thought maybe you'd know a home phone number or…"

"I don't. Why don't you try her boy toy?"

"Um…"

"The new one, not the old one." I slowed my pace again as Michael stopped at another booth. "Christ, how many in one day Man?"

"Excuse me?"

I chuckled and leaned against the brick wall to my right. "Try Detective Miller's phone."

"I did and he's not answering either."

_Detective Miller, what could you be doing? A cocky bitch like you truly has no friends therefore you have no life. You're probably jacking off to food commercials and complaining to Dara about your weight._

"Angel?"

"And I'm back." I pushed away from the wall. "Look, I haven't seen her in a couple of days but I'm sure she's fine. If it'll make you feel better I'll drop by her house and see if she's okay."

"I knew I could depend on you. When you see her tell her the results on her paint samples will be in her In Box."

1414141414141414

I kept knocking on the door until my hand began to go numb and finally it jerked open to reveal Dara, the woman dressed a robe. Her eyes widened in surprise and she pulled the fabric across her chest. "Angela; what, uh, what are you doing here?"

"You're not answering your phone." I moved past her and smirked as I heard her grumbling something about an invitation. I gazed around the tidy house. "I came to check on you."

"Well as you can see, I'm fine so…"

I turned to eye her as she smoothed her hair down. "Hodges is looking for you; said he had some tests results for you. I thought you should know." I slid my hands into my jacket pockets. "If a man buys a lot of jewelry at vender booths what does that usually mean about him?"

"Excuse me?" Dara cleared her throat. "Look Angela, it's nice you came by and all but really, I'm fine so…"

"Miller isn't answering his phone either."

"I'll make sure I reprimand him when I see him."

"Dara? Is everything okay?"

I pivoted on the heel of my show and cocked an eyebrow at the sight of Edward coming out from the hallway. He was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt, black slacks completing the look. He was barefoot and his hair was still damp from what I assumed was from a shower. I turned back to glare at Dara. "When you see him huh?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Her blush made me relax even if her comment was terse. It was almost as if the blush had spread to every part of her that very moment. I almost felt pity for her embarrassment but we were talking Miller here so pity was a given.

"Let me guess, too much tequila?"

"Oh shut up." She ran her hand over her hair again. "Can I get you a cup of coffee or perhaps some duct tape before you leave?"

I smirked but shook my head. "I'm not into kinky sex games but thanks for the offer." I looked over to find Edward smirking at me. "I wouldn't smile so much if I were Eddie; you two bumping uglies isn't anything new, everyone's favorite topic of conversation now is how bad you are at it."

Anger flashed across his face but he chuckled and leaned casually against the wall, arms crossing against his chest. "I think you have me confused with someone else. I've never had any complaints; right Dara?"

"I'm sure her only complaint is that you're not Henderson."

"Angela!" Dara looked absolutely mortified. "That's not true."

"Maybe, maybe not but I figured if I said Warrick it'd make things really awkward." I paused and smiled over at Edward who was practically glaring at me by this point. "Oh shoot; I did anyway didn't I?"

Dara rolled her eyes as she jerked open the front door again. "Enough. Go. I'll see you at work."

"But I'm having fun!"

"You're sadistic, that's what."

"We all have our faults." I pouted at her as she pointed me out the door. "Fine, spoil my fun." I paused just outside the door. "Hodges dropped the results into your Inbox."

She nodded. "Great."

I leaned past her to wave at Edward. "Bye Eddie; it was so nice to see you again!" I practically skipped to my car and was still smiling by the time I pulled back into traffic.

Checking my watch I had at least three hours before I had to be at work. I stopped at a red light and tapped my fingers against my steering wheel, looking both ways multiple times before I made up my mind. I had things to do, people to stalk, you know, the usual…


	15. Episode 2x15

**A/N: **_A big thank you to the following: Simone, M, StokesGirl, Princess Moon Shadow, JTBWriter, Alexandra Khayman, Mma63, Giuli Miadi Black, Romana, Blaze Alchemist, Violet Angel2, AlwaysxLove, TigerTiger02, Sigma1, Linsy, Suzseb and all your lurkers. When I'm ready to call it quits, you always keep the fic going._

**Chapter Fifteen: On My Radar**

If I thought Michael led a boring life, I should have taken a look at Edward's apartment first. There was barely any furniture only what I imagine he assumed were necessary essentials. A television was in the living room with a coffee table and two sofa chairs. His bedroom wasn't any better. There were random items in the refrigerator and I rolled my eyes as I snapped the door shut.

"Where is your porn? I know you have some." I entered his bedroom again and rummaged around the almost empty drawers, careful to put everything back. It wasn't a hard task considering how much he lacked. I suppose I should have felt bad for breaking and entering an officer of the law's house but he annoyed me and if I could blame karma for a second, he had it coming.

Whistling, I slid open the drawer next to the bed and my eyebrows rose as I slowly lifted the set of cuffs from inside. "Well, lookie here." I dropped them back in and merely eyed the other items in the drawer before I shuddered dramatically and slammed it shut. "Gross." Those were images I could do without; something told me he wasn't the romantic type. Hell, any man that had lube among his belongings didn't prefer Jane Austen over German fetish porn.

Just what kind of freak was I dealing with? The man had sex toys but no pictures of himself or his family. He had nothing connecting him with a past life before coming to Vegas. _You're on my radar Edward. _I started humming as I left the room. _On my radar. Christ Michael, I'm going to strangle you._

1515151515151515

"New rule." I slammed my hand down on the CD player in order to stop the disc playing there. "No more playing of Britney when I'm in the morgue."

Michael blushed and attempted to look sheepish. "But I like her."

"So do a lot of people; they're called adolescent boys." I sat down on my favorite stool as I snapped gloves onto my hands. "Seriously; you should look up John Mayer or Operator, Guns and Roses, Nine Inch Nails! Johnny Cash? Anything but this…" I waved my hand at the radio and slid on my reading glasses. "What do we have here?"

"So you weren't humming along the other day?"

I glared at him as I rolled over to the slab. "What do we have here?" I repeated.

He motioned at my glasses. "Are those new?"

I let out a loud sigh. "Fine; you can play her but not all day okay?" I looked down at the older man on the slab. "Please tell me he died of something weird that needs investigating."

"Afraid not; COD looks to be a heart attack."

"Want to hear something funny?"

"Sure." He picked up a cutting tool and began to work on the body again.

"Edward has lube in his house." The tool slipped and I had to move back in order to miss the spray of blood that came out of the body like Old Faithful. "Michael!"

"You did it!" He grabbed some gauze and cloth and I knew without asking he was grateful he had put on a face and eye guard before digging in. "I did not need to know that! How is that even funny?!"

"It means he has issues with natural lubrication." I smirked as I stood up to help him clean the area. I pointed at his lab shirt with a chuckle. "You look like you killed someone." I dropped my smile. "Anyway, don't ask me how I know but he does."

"How am I ever going to be able to look at the guy and not laugh now?"

"You're supposed to laugh; that's why I told you." I sat back down and pulled off my bloody gloves. I watched Michael continue to contain the blood flow. "Man, this guy is a squirter! I haven't seen that happen since… Well, it's been a while. I thought you were supposed to have this guy vacuumed out already? Do I have to remind you to do everything?"

"He just came in!"

"Handy excuse." I teased. I stood up. "I'm gonna go get some coffee. You want some?"

"Sure."

"Can I pour some Jack in it for you?" I kept my face serious as he looked up but then I couldn't help myself and I laughed. "Just kidding."

Michael let out a laugh that wasn't truly full of humor and it made me frown. He noticed and cleared his throat. "Good. I kinda, uh, I kinda had a drinking problem a few years back so I tend to stay clear of the stuff. I make sure I attend AA meetings and everything."

"At night?"

He looked confused but then nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Well, I'm a good guesser." I started to push backwards through the doors. "And now I'm off to get us nonalcoholic coffee."

"Don't you think you should change first?"

I looked down at my scrub that was spotty with blood. "You might have a point." I hesitated. "Not sure I brought any extras today though."

"I've got an extra one if you want it."

_Verdict: I'm completely wrong about Michael and I'm glad to be wrong this time. Scratch that name off and move on to the next. _"Thanks. I'd appreciate that."

1515151515151515

I was standing in the break room and watching the coffee pot brew some of Greg's stash when my cell phone vibrated. Lazily I didn't even check the name on the screen before I answered. "Wilkins."

"Angela?"

I straightened up as I recognized Eva's voice. "Eva, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"You told me to call if anything ever came up."

"That's right."

"Well, there was a guy here earlier today."

"Describe him to me."

"Tall, blonde, didn't give me a name but he was asking a bunch of questions about you."

I leaned past the coffee pot to gaze over at Edward's empty desk. "What kind of questions?"

"Random things really." She answered. "He flashed his badge at me really quickly so I just assumed it was fake, and I tried not to answer a lot of his questions. He asked how often you came in, what you ordered, your routine, that sort of thing."

"Interesting."

Eva hesitated. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, there's nothing for you to worry about." The machine beeped and I grabbed the handle on the pot. "Say, did Nick get in touch with you?"

"Actually your friend Warrick contacted me!" Her voice was suddenly cheerful. "He managed to get me a really good job at the Wynn casino downtown! I'll have enough from my first check to move Thomas and me to a really nice apartment nearby."

_Two surprises in less than ten minutes, imagine that._ "That's great Eva. It'll be a good change for you and your son."

"I can't thank you enough."

"Don't mention it. Just get out of that neighborhood and we'll call it even." I fixed my coffee before fixing a cup for Michael.

"Well, thank you anyway and thank your friend for me too. Will you come visit me at my new job?"

_I'm a bit distracted at the moment; ask me again after I carve Edward a new asshole. _"Count on it. Look Eva, I have to go but thank you for calling me about the guy. Don't worry about it."

"Be careful Angela."

"You too." I snapped the phone shut and looked over to see Edward now sitting at his desk. He looked towards the break room at that very second and our eyes met, a million scenarios including one of me dumping my coffee into his lap flashed through my mind. He smirked and that scenario came up again.

"Angel Cake!"

I jerked my gaze away to see Greg. "Greggo my eggo." Smiling, I didn't stop him as he scooped up my coffee mug and took a long sip. _You've become quite lame Angela._

"Ah," He sighed. "My stuff is always the most sought after by all the lovely ladies."

"Absolutely." I quipped. "It brings them all to the yard."

"Did you just make a pop culture reference?" He grinned at me as he sat down at the table. "Oh my god Angela made a joke, mark the date and time."

"Hey I make jokes all the time." I finished making Michael's coffee just as Edward came waltzing into the break room. "But they're usually about Eddie's inability to spell."

"Screw you Wilkins."

I smirked and grabbed for another cup. "No thanks, I like being disease free. Besides, we all know you're still practicing to make perfect." Greg was practically choking on his coffee in his attempt to keep his laughter internal.

Edward kept his gaze on mine. "Make me a cup will ya Sweetheart?"

I kept the smirk plastered on my face. "Sure, let me find the rat poison and I'll have one for you in a jiffy."

"Calling her Sweetheart is definitely the wrong way to go about getting a cup of coffee." Greg was grinning wildly. "Angel here is a different kind of woman altogether; the normal bells and whistles don't work on her."

"That so?" Edward crossed his arms and leaned into the counter. "And what does work on you Angela?"

"A lot more than what you've got in that little bag of tricks you own." I watched his face for anything before I looked away to finish fixing the coffee.

"And what does that mean?"

"Yeah." I tried to look confused. "What does that mean?" I looked over to see Michael almost run into the break room door at seeing Edward. "Michael?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Um, yes?"

"I said the word jiffy and it reminded me of that service station, you know, what's the name?" I snapped my fingers rapidly. "It's a tire and express place like two blocks from here."

"Oh I know!" Greg's eyes lit up. "Jiffy-Lube?!"

"Right, duh!" I chuckled and glanced over at Edward slyly. "Lube, how could I forget?"

"Um, I have to go."

I watched as Michael practically ran out of the room and I could see him laughing as he made his way back to the elevator. "But you forgot your coffee!" I looked down at it before I thrust it towards Edward. "Well, here you go Eddie."

He took the cup from me without looking away. I kept my gaze on his and practically begged him inside my mind to say something, anything to let me know I was on the right track. Could it be possibly; was he the one force I had been looking for this entire time and been right under my nose!? I wasn't sure. He doesn't seem to possess enough brains to be The Artist. Maybe I'm giving this douche waaaaaay too much credit.

"Angie!"

I looked away to see Nick in the doorway and a huge tension melted from me. "Hey." I smiled. I ignored Edward watching as Nick entered to kiss my check. "Oh stop it." I glared at Greg who made kissing noises. "You too."

Greg chuckled and rose to his feet. "You ready to go partner?"

"In a second." Nick swiped my coffee and chugged down almost half of it before he gave it back. "Damn baby, I thought you were going to start using less sugar." He kissed my cheek again. "I gotta go but your parents called and left you a message on the machine after you left. Their schedules have changed so they're not coming in for another week."

"Well, shoot."

"Do not even pretend you're upset." He chuckled and reached down to squeeze my hip. "Make sure you give your mom a call okay?" I nodded and he looked around one more time before kissing me quickly on the lips. He glanced over at Edward. "What's up man?"

"Nothing much Nick."

"See you out on the scene; I think Ecklie has you and Dara covering us."

"You bet." Edward caught my eye and his grin widened. "Don't worry Angela, I'll look after your fiancé and make sure he comes back in one piece I promise."

I glared at him heatedly. "You better. I can get quite creative with my tools when it calls for it."

"Angela!" Nick chuckled. "She's kidding."

"I doubt that but it's understandable. You two love each other very much and I'm sure even the slightest scratch is painful to see the other endure."

I kept eying him even as Nick and Greg disappeared. "You get that from a fortune cookie or something?" I finished the coffee and threw the empty cup into the trash. "Don't think you fool me for one second Miller cause you don't."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"The next time you want to know something about me try asking me first or how about you don't ask at all? It's not part of your job to investigate me."

"I can't be curious about my girlfriend's friends?"

"She's not your girlfriend." I snapped. "And you even go near Eva or her kid again I'll make you fucking regret it."

A heat flashed in his eyes that I knew was echoed in mine and he lifted the cup of coffee to his mouth before lowering it just as slowly. A small smile crossed his face. "Tell me Angela, how does it feel to know Dara's ex wants to fuck you?"

"How does it feel to be repeatedly run over with a car?" I stepped away from. "Keep on and you're going to find out."

He began to laugh even as I started out of the room. "I find you quite amusing."

"I find your work quite amusing." I met his eyes and felt satisfaction flare up at seeing a reaction there, even if it was a small one. "Maybe you should think about retiring? Maybe take up a hobby like photography or painting. You look like you'd be quite handy with a stencil." Without waiting for his reaction I left him there to stew over my words and hoped to God my instincts were still steering in the right direction.

1515151515151515

After taking time out to rethink a few things I was started to believe I had taken the wrong approach when it came to Edward. I was never a fan of going in with guns blazing yet here I was, in the saddle blaring a trumpet and ready for war. It had to be due to my long hiatus; it had been so long since I had 

taken care of business in my own way instead of letting the law handle it. Every day cases came in and out of the station that were left unsolved or unsettled but I didn't do anything to help. I was trying to take a backseat and let nature run its course but how far exactly was I willing to let that go?

Perhaps I was just waiting on the right case. Perhaps I was waiting on The Artist, maybe I had always been waiting on him. Clarissa was an amateur, a young selfish and mentally depraved novice who cared nothing for the rules and only for her own glory. Impressing someone should never be the key driving factor in a killer's life; it should be the thrill of the hunt and the ability to create something beautiful out of something so harsh.

Beautiful? Did I really believe that now? What was the beauty of murder compared to the beauty I discovered every time Nick said he loved me? I paused to look up from a paper I was filling out. Was I looking at this the wrong way? Could I even possibly both those on the same scale and even hope for them to balance? Why am I thinking about this right now?

I grumbled unhappily to myself as I finished writing and filed the paper into the cabinet by my desk. The lights were off in the morgue with only the cabinets illuminated. Michael had taken off almost fifteen minutes ago and I was slowly gathering my things. Soon a night crew would come in with their own coroner to handle the shift change until Doc came in to take over. I should go home, climb into bed and wait on Nick to get home, I really should.

I glanced down at my watch. Or I could go do some research and entertain myself with the thought of using my blazing guns of justice. I stopped and snorted at myself. _Blazing guns of justice; sounds like a porn title._

The door to the morgue swung open and I eyed the dark figure with my hands at my sides, every muscle in my body tightening. I shifted mere inches to reach for the knife I kept taped under my desk.

"Babe?"

I dropped my hand. "Nick?"

"Who else would it be?" He chuckled. "Babe, why the hell is it so dark in here? I can't see a thing." He flipped on the switch by the door and I blinked several times as my eyes tried to quickly adjust. His brown eyes met mine and that charming smile appeared on his face. "There you are."

"Yep, here I am."

Nick came forward and I smirked as he wiggled his nose. "What is that smell?"

I inhaled deeply. "Bleach. Nice huh?"

"Sometimes you like the weirdest things." Smiling, he grabbed onto my belt to pull me close. "And I think it is beyond adorable."

"I hate that word." I didn't fight him as he wrapped his arms around me. I pressed my cheek against his chest, momentarily closing my eyes.

"Are you hungry?"

"No." I lifted up my head to smile at him. "I want you and our bed."

Nick smiled widely back at me obviously satisfied with my answer. "Now that definitely sounds like something I can agree to but I haven't had anything since this morning. How about this; how about we get some take out from that Chinese place you like and eat it in bed?"

"How about this; how about we order delivery, put it in the fridge for later and you eat something else in the bed?"

"Angela!" His loud, warm laughter floated through the lab. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"There's more where that came from but it's going to cost you." I moved away from him, evading his hands as he grabbed for me again.

His eyebrows rose, grin still on his face. "Oh really? And what exactly do you have in mind?"

"You'll find out soon enough." I teased. "But first, we'll start with extra noodles."

**TBC**


	16. Episode 2x16

**A/N: WARNING: **_After this chapter you may end up hating Angela and if so… I accomplished what I set out to do in a way. It's important to remember exactly what and who she is and the whole mission behind this trilogy has been to keep you on your toes when it comes to that. Um, so, here it is and PLEASE don't flame me. It's not going to change anything and um, if you didn't see this coming… exactly what story have you been reading? I look forward to seeing what you have to say._

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: In Your Darkest Hour**

Two more days passed and The Artist remained irritatingly quiet. Things were still awkward around the station now that Edward and Dara were openly dating. Obviously upset, Warrick was storming around these days like a volcano ready to explode. Everyone avoided him unless they had to work with him in some capacity and it appeared talks from Nick and Grissom (while helpful in focusing him back on the job out of an instilled fear of losing it) did nothing to fix his attitude. He went to great lengths to avoid Dara, taking cases only after finding out which ones she had chosen and if the situation arose always leaving the room at the mere sight of her.

A deep part of me wanted to laugh at their misery but I couldn't. It wouldn't be right; she was my friend. Well, the closest thing in a long time I had that resembled a friend. On the outside, Dara seemed content with Edward despite the fact he was creepy and who knows, she might be but there was still a lingering hesitation in her movements these days. Sometimes I caught her looking around as if she expected Warrick to appear and for all the problems to have disappeared so they were able to at least have a decent conversation. It hadn't happened and I doubted it would unless something drastic brought them together.

Besides, why should I worry? I have my own misery to deal with; I'm content with my own life but lately I grew more and more annoyed at the itch returning to my fingers. I knew I could control myself, my impulses centered around chocolate binges, reality TV shows, crap like that; not murder. Murder, that isn't even the right word for it, is it? Justice? Maybe not. Revenge? I guess. Punishment? Sure, hand me a skull tee shirt and call me The Punisher. Whatever works.

"And then I told Wendy she could stick it down my pants."

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts to stare at Nick sitting across from me. The sound of the customers in the restaurant around us had me sitting up straighter in my seat. "You did what?"

He smirked at me knowingly. "Just as I expected, you weren't really listening."

"You better be joking about Wendy. I catch her anywhere near your pants and I might have to do something drastic." I smiled as he chuckled. I toyed with the knife beside my plate. We never actually made it anywhere to get food last night but it wasn't like I was complaining. By the time we had raced each other home the last thing on my mind was food anyway.

"Hey, isn't that Michael?"

I looked over my shoulder to see my assistant corner at a table near the back with an attractive young man I didn't recognize. They were laughing about something, a bottle of wine was on the table, and 

when the unidentified man leaned back into his seat I caught sight of a familiar necklace around his neck. "I'll be right back."

"Baby…"

Ignoring his protests, I rose from my chair and approached their table. Michael stopped whatever he was saying mid-sentence when he noticed me, and I couldn't help but smile at the deer in headlights look that appeared on his face. "Well, look who it is; my assistant coroner Michael." I glanced over at his friend. "And who would you be?"

Michael cleared his throat quickly. "This is Daniel. Daniel, this is my boss Angela."

I kept smiling. "Nice to meet you Daniel. That's a great necklace, where did you get it?"

"Michael bought it for me actually; as part of my birthday present."

I watched Daniel finger the necklace as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Fear was so thick in the air I almost choked on it. "How sweet of him. Is that why you two are out celebrating tonight, your birthday, or is it for an anniversary?"

"Angela…"

"Michael, it's me, Angela."

He looked over at Daniel but I saw the tension and fear melt out of him. "Um, it's our two year anniversary tonight."

_I knew it! Well, I didn't know what I thought I knew but I knew something was up. _"Congratulations. Really." I smiled at Daniel and reached out to squeeze Michael's shoulder. "Well, enough of me interrupting. Have a great night and I'll see you at work tomorrow night Michael."

He smiled widely, all that fear gone. "Okay Angela."

"It was nice to meet you Daniel."

"You too Angela."

I walked back to my table to see our food had arrived, Nick waiting patiently. He glanced over at Michael and Daniel as I sat down but said nothing. I placed my napkin into my lap before reaching for my fork. "What?"

"What was that about?"

"Nothing." I smiled. "Just couples in Vegas and in love, you know how it is."

He smiled back at me as he reached for my left hand. "I certainly do."

I watched our fingers thread together slowly. "Nick…"

"Yeah babe?"

_I kill people. _"I love you."

"I love you too baby."

_But I really don't want to anymore because of you. _"Nicky?"

He chuckled and paused with his fork in midair. "Yeah babe?"

"Can we get this stuff to go?"

161616161616161616

Nick pushed me up against the side of our car and I let the bag of leftovers fall to the driveway. My hands grabbed onto his shirt to pull him close, our mouths meeting and I giggled as he lifted me, a heel slipping off my foot to join our food.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried us towards the front door. My fingers dug into his shoulders, Nick continuing to kiss me as he shifted a hand to dig for his keys in his pants pocket. He stumbled as he collided with something and the move forward had me colliding with the door. The air rushed from my lungs but I didn't mind the force, sighing in frustration as he broke the kiss to pull back.

"What the-" He glanced down at our feet. "There's a box here."

"You probably ordered something. Forget it and kiss me."

Chuckling, Nick pressed his mouth against mine again as he effortlessly unlocked the door and carried me inside. The blissful, horny moment was short-lived however when I was thrown onto the couch and his body didn't automatically cover mine.

"Nick?" I propped myself up on my elbows to watch him step back out and return with the box. "Leave it until tomorrow and-"

"It only has your name on it."

"What?" I slid off the couch and eyed the box.

Nick frowned down at the box. "It has your name and that's it. There's no return address."

I immediately moved forward to take it and I ignored how worried he looked as I sat it down on the coffee table. Fuddles came running in from the back bedroom, momentarily distracting me. "Can you take Fuddles outside baby? He hasn't been out since lunch."

"Are you sure we shouldn't-"

"It's not ticking and it doesn't smell so I think we'll be fine." I leaned over to kiss him. "And would you mind getting the food and my shoe while you're out there? Oh and my purse! I left it in the car."

Nick eyed the package but seeing the look of determination on my face, he nodded. "Come on baby." He whistled and Fuddles ran past me at the speed of light. I waited until the door had shut behind them to look back down at the box. My name was neatly written with black marker, no postage and as Nick has said no return address. There was only my name and the tape holding the box together.

"Let's see what's in you shall we?" I scooped up the letter opener in the drawer of the end table and quickly broke the tape on both sides before sliding the opener cleanly across the center.

I opened the box and stared down at the envelope inside. With an irritated sigh, I grabbed the envelope and tore into the top, hand digging in to pull out slips of paper. A photograph fluttered onto the floor. For a full minute I stared down at the picture of my family. It had to be at least twelve years old of me standing beside Andy, our parents standing on either side of us and smiling. We were all smiling. Oh, how things changed.

I didn't dare pick up the photo and slowly turned my attention back to the papers in my hands. I read the words there and then again. Then I read them again until I could no longer see them due to the tears that were flooding my eyes and now rolling down my cheeks.

"Baby?" The door shut and I barely heard Nick as he came forward. "What's wrong?"

Fuddles barked but I paid him no attention when he appeared at my feet. "I need the phone."

"Babe…"

"I need my fucking phone!" I reached out to snatch my purse from him. Wiping at my face, I dug around in it until I found my phone and dialed. Within seconds my mother answered sounding sleepy and curious.

"Angela?" She whispered. "Why in the Heavens are you calling so early?"

"You fucking lied to me."

"Excuse me? What did you just say young lady?"

"You heard me." I hissed. "I know the truth now; I know you're not my real mother!"

"Angela, please…" My mother sounded wide awake now. "Terrance. Terrance, wake up." She sighed into the phone. "Angela, whatever you think…"

I clutched at my phone and willed myself desperately not to break it in half. "I'm staring at my birth certificate, my real birth certificate. You're not my real parents." My grip on the papers was starting to crinkle them. Nick shifted uneasily beside me and reached down for the picture on the floor. "You never told me. How could you have never told me?"

"You may have not been related by blood but you are our daughter!"

"Bullshit! Lies, that's all you've ever told me. I don't want you coming to Vegas. I don't want to see you ever again."

"Angela!"

"We're not family. Leave me the fuck alone."

"Angela, we love you! Please!"

I snapped the phone shut and closed my eyes. Shaking, I dropped the papers and buried my face into my hands. Nick's hand settled on my shoulder. I shrugged it off. "Don't."

"Baby…"

I threw the phone and watched as it smashed against the wall in satisfaction. "I said don't!" I grabbed the papers, tossing them back into the envelope and stood up. The photo was still in his hand and I grabbed that as well, the painful reminder joining the papers. "I cannot believe this. I cannot fucking believe this." I ranted. "My entire fucking life they told me I was part of their family and it's all lies."

"You were a part of their family baby. You might have been adopted but-"

"You don't understand!" I screamed at him. "You wouldn't understand, you with your perfect family!"

Nick stood up, hands up in a defensive position. "Angela, baby, I know you're upset-"

"You don't know shit about me. If you did we wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be here! I don't even know who I am anymore. All my memories are lies! Every single time I celebrated a birthday, it was a fucking lie!" I threw the envelope at him. "My whole life is a lie Nick!"

"Angela, you need to calm down. I'm sorry but let's just sit and-"

"I don't want to sit." I snarled. "Stop trying to tell me what to do. I'm sick of that! You don't always know what's best for me Nick!" I grabbed my purse and ignored Fuddles yelp as he moved quickly to get out of my way. "Everything is a lie and I'm sick of it. Do you know how hard it is to exert this much energy into pretending I'm fucking happy all the damn time!?"

Nick recoiled as if he had been slapped, the look on his face one I could describe as seeing something new for the first time. "Angela, I don't know exactly what you're saying. Pretending? I thought… I thought things were fine with us."

The words started to pour out. "I'm tired Nick. I'm tired of talking with you constantly about kids I don't want to have right now, I'm tired of pretending the wedding is the first thing on my agenda every day I wake up. You just don't get it do you?"

"How can you say those things to me? If you're so damn tired you should have said something sooner!"

"And risk you upset and refusing to talk to me? That's even more tiring than plastering a smile on my face and hoping no one notices how fake it is."

"Look, I understand this is about your family and-"

"Don't even say that word." I cut him off. "It doesn't exist."

Nick lowered his hands finally. "We can start a new family Angela."

"I don't want to start a family." Even if I really didn't feel the words they kept coming out of my mouth. "And I don't think right now is the best time to think about getting married either."

"You know what, you're right." He snapped. "You don't seem to give a shit I want to marry you! All you've done since we got engaged is put every single conversation about it on the backburner. You told me you wanted to get married but it's really the last thing you actually want!" He dragged his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry that you found out terrible news Angela but taking your anger out on me isn't acceptable."

"This has nothing to do with my anger. I just suddenly realized I can't do this and I'm fooling myself if I think I can." I shook my head as I dug for my keys. "This isn't me. I don't… I don't know who I am anymore and telling you what you want to hear… I just don't have it in me anymore."

"Are you breaking up with me?!"

"You know I love you but-"

"Are you breaking up with me Angela?"

I looked down at the engagement ring on my finger. "I think that now is a really bad time to-"

"I can't believe this." Nick looked stunned. He ran his hands through his hair again. "You want to end our engagement. You don't want to get married."

"Now isn't the time. I'm sorry." And I really was. I loved and cared for him more than any man I had ever known, I knew I did but being married was the last of my concerns. I had become ignorant and sloppy these past several months, allowing myself to believe fully in this new life I had created. One of these days my past would catch up to me and who would be hurt? "I'm sorry."

"I can't believe you're saying this. Everything was fine ten damn minutes ago!"

"I'm sorry Nick." He didn't answer me and I watched him storm into the back of the house, our bedroom door slamming a few seconds later. Slowly I lowered my ring onto the coffee table, staring at it in silence until the sound of Fuddles whimpering caught my attention. He was on the sofa chair with his head on his paws, those brown eyes gazing at me in what seemed to be acknowledgement. "Don't look at me like that."

He whimpered again. I looked towards the hallway but it was quiet so I located my shoes and the envelope I had thrown at Nick during our fight. With keys in hand, I slipped out the front door.

161616161616161616

I drove around until I no longer had any sense of direction. Finally when I had enough I parked the car behind a building off from the strip, a neon sign catching my attention where it hung above a darkened doorway. I'm not sure how long I sat there with my head buried in my hands but when I escaped the car the night air was still cool, the bright lights of the city still flashing in the distance.

The inside of the bar didn't look any better but I paid no attention to the dingy dark walls, barely crowded tables, or the wailing music that wafted from the jukebox. I slid onto a barstool and pressed my hands flat against the counter, a twenty dollar bill already under my right hand. "Scotch."

Doug, as introduced by the sign hanging above the back counter, barely nodded before he slid a glass in front of me and filled it halfway. He took the money and I didn't argue when he made no move to give me any change. The liquid coated my throat for a satisfying minute but did nothing to calm my nerves.

I pulled out the photo of my family from my jacket pocket and stared at it. Was The Artist trying to get under my skin or was it someone else, someone closer to me that had an agenda? There was no way that The Artist could know I existed; I hadn't killed in months. I wanted so badly to kill almost to the point I could feel the blood on my fingers but I hadn't because….

I swallowed the rest of the scotch and motioned for another one. I don't want to think about the why. When I killed I turned into someone else, someone I didn't like, and it no longer became about justice. I saw Dylan's face in every life I took. I enjoyed the experience and when it was all over, I felt like an addict coming off a high. I felt used, broken and unfulfilled, and I felt as if the only thing that would cure me was another hit.

That wasn't me anymore; it couldn't be because that life didn't fit with the one I had now. So why did I want it so badly? Could I justify it to myself and continue living a double life? Could the rewards ultimately outweigh the consequences? I'm not entirely sure it was worth risking everything I had accomplished in my life just to find out. Still, the itch was there… It was always there.

Giving into the itch silenced the demons and made things right in the world, my world at least. At first the demons were from losing Andy, from feeling guilty because in the end family was all you had but now… now I didn't even have family. The question of belonging only brought more questions; my parents had adopted me as a small child. They had lied to me and never gave any indication that I wasn't true blood and somewhere someone out there wanted me to know it.

I wasn't my father's daughter. I wasn't my mother's daughter. Whoever sent the package had certainly gotten what they wanted; I was knocked off balance and simply waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I lowered the glass back onto the counter and my eyes caught sight of my left hand, the ring no longer there. Such hurtful things had been said and this was the end result of it. Even though we loved each other we both weren't sure now we were ready to take that step. We had barely had time to talk about plans with everything escalating. I believed now that the proposal and my acceptance had come at a bad time in our lives. Just maybe, just maybe there would be another more opportune chance.

A wedding was the last thing on my mind, the very first on Nick's and it was causing problems between us. I wanted to marry him at the same time I wanted to run away from him. Since the first day of meeting him he had forced me to face issues head on that I never wanted to deal with. Now I no longer had that choice if I wanted to keep him in my life.

"Beer for me and another scotch for the lady."

I turned my head as the man who had spoken slid onto the empty stool next to me. He was handsome with long brown hair and a light beard, a grin already on his face as his eyes met mine.

"How are you doing darling? I'm James."

I shoved my picture back into my jacket. "I'm not interested."

He chuckled as he swiveled to face me, an arm on the bar to allow him leaning room towards me. I didn't move or look away and I guess he took that as a positive. "What's a lovely lady like yourself doing in a place like this all alone?"

"I'm waiting." I accepted the scotch and sipped at it.

"Well it looks like your lucky day because I'm here."

I lowered the glass. "I didn't tell you what I was waiting on James. Maybe I'm waiting on my pimp. Maybe I'm waiting on my girlfriend…" I smirked as he chuckled. "Or maybe I'm waiting on some asshole to try to pick me up." I tilted my head. "Look at that, it is my lucky day."

He actually chuckled and reached out to trail his finger down my arm. "No need to get hostile Sweetness. I was just curious as to why someone as good looking as you is sitting in a dingy bar all by herself." He reversed the direction of his finger. "What's your name?"

I took another deep sip from my glass and licked my lips. "Nicole."

"Well Nicole, what do you say we get out of here?" He scooped up his beer and drank from it. "My place isn't too far, just a couple blocks in fact."

"I'd say a couple blocks is too far and that my car is next to the alley."

His eyebrows went up but he chugged down the rest of his beer before standing up and offering me his hand. I shot down the rest of my scotch and ignored his hand as I stood up. I watched him throw down some money and wink at Doug.

"Be right back D."

Doug smirked as if he'd seen the situation play out time and time again with James. I motioned for James to go first and followed him out the back door at a short distance.

The dimly lit parking lot couldn't have been more perfect. I kept my pace casual as James strutted for the alley and dug my gloves out from my back pocket. My knife was firmly strapped against my side 

under my jacket. I let my fingers linger over it but withdrew my hand the second James turned to face me.

"Is this the part where you tell me you don't do this a lot?" He shot me a cocky smile as he leaned against the brick wall. "If it is, that's okay Sweetheart; I'll take real good care of you."

"Do that a lot do you? Take good care of women in dark alleys?"

"Only the women who really beg for it." He reached out for my arm but I stepped back. "Don't be all coy with me now."

"Is that what you like? When women beg?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Is this some kind of fucking game? Get over here. I thought you wanted to fuck, not ask me twenty questions."

"Why the rush?" I readjusted my gloves and his frown deepened.

"I'm into some kinky shit as much as the next guy but the gloves might be pushing it."

I smirked as I wiggled my fingers. "I like my gloves; they don't leave behind fingerprints."

He immediately straightened from the wall. "Do you want to fuck or not cause there are plenty of other women inside that…"

"If we're talking about the same bar, your options are pretty slim." I lowered my hands. "What exactly do you do James? You and Doug? Do you concoct some money and sex scheme on tourists or lonely women? Get them liquored up and fuck them before you take their money?" I chuckled. "I wish I could say it was a new one but I've heard it before and it always ends the same way."

"Oh yeah bitch; how's that?"

"Very badly."

"You're the one that wanted to come out here." He smirked. "Maybe you're just shy… or maybe you like it when your man is a little rough with you, is that it?" He took a step forward and I remained where I was. "Want me to be rough with you Sweetheart? Cause I can. You look like a woman that has enjoyed it up the ass a time or two."

I chuckled as I moved my fingers only slightly. "Up the ass, that's a good one; learn that in prison did you James?" I chuckled again as an angry look crossed his face. "Still a little sore I see."

"You fucking bitch."

He charged at me and I grabbed the wrist that came closest to me. I stepped away so the motion was smooth as I twisted his arm inwards before pulling it back only to throw my weight into him so he hit the wall behind me face first. I let go of him as he stumbled back and a well placed boot to the back of his leg sent him stumbling onto his knees.

My blade came out smoothly as I grabbed his hair in order to jerk his head back. I slid the blade under his chin. "I told you this was going to end badly."

"Please, don't! Don't!"

His panicked words had me pausing. _What are you doing Angela? Do it! Do it now!_ I tightened my grip on the handle of the blade. _Doug saw you go out with him. There's a witness. _My fingers began to relax. _So what, kill him too; he's in this with the bastard._

"Don't kill me please. Don't kill me."

It would have been so simple, a jerk of the hand and all that blood would have come rushing out. I let go his hair and took a step back, watching as he actually began to cry. I cleared my throat and slammed the blade back into the holster at my hip. "You're fucking pathetic." I wasn't sure who I was talking to at that moment. "Give me your damn wallet."

He complied with shaky hands and I flipped it open to pull out his driver's license. "Hmm James McCoy; 1120 Broad Street." I smirked as I slid his license into my back pocket. "I catch you doing this type of shit to anyone else and I'll come to your house and finish the job, do you understand me James?"

When he nodded several times, I threw his wallet against the wall. "Do not make me regret this James. I know a lot of ways that will make your antics look like child play and hurt a hell of a lot more." I didn't wait for his response and turned to make my way back inside the bar.

I ordered another scotch and eyed the backdoor but after twenty minutes passed, it was obvious that James had taken me at my word and gotten the hell out of there. I glanced over at Doug who was eyeing me and cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"My boy James…"

"Wasn't suddenly feeling well and decided to take off." I swirled the scotch around in my glass. "It might have had something to do with the fact I work for the LVPD and it's highly frowned upon to conduct sexual acts in public." I smiled thinly at him. "And for the record Doug, unless you want a ton of cops breathing down your neck this little scheme you two had going better stop." His eyes widened and I stood up, readjusting my jacket. "That last drink was on the house right?"

Doug nodded. "You got it."

"Good." I smiled. "Have a great night."

The door opened to the bar and I shifted my attention to the doorway. Warrick stood there looking around and I cursed as his gaze locked on mine. He approached leaving me no room for walking by casually. Inside my head there was laughter that just wouldn't go away.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business." I shot back. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to get a drink." Those green eyes looked around quickly before settling on mine again. "Looks like you were here for the same thing."

I rolled my eyes as I zipped up my jacket. "No wonder you're a CSI."

"Have a drink with me before you go."

"Why don't we both go our separate ways instead? I highly doubt the last thing you need is a drink right now. Try sleep or food or…. a shrink."

His eyes flashed at me angrily and somewhere inside something growled in answer to the unspoken challenge. "Try not being a bitch for once Angela. Sit down and have a drink with me, you obviously need something to knock the edge off."

"You'd know all about knocking the edge off wouldn't you druggie?" I suddenly couldn't stop the words that came out of my mouth. "Shut the fuck up and leave me alone. I wish all of you would just leave me alone."

The door hit the wall as I stormed out, the anger now found in my system adding to the fuel of the liquid already there. I dug my keys out of my pocket and the car beeped as it unlocked. Who the fuck did he think he was? I should have killed him a long time ago; I should have killed that other fuck, I should have-

I was spun around by Warrick's firm grip on my arm. "What the fuck are-" The words were stopped by his mouth crashing down on mine. He bit down on my bottom lip so hard that it made me gasp, the move allowing him the perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. I hit out at him with my free hand but he grabbed my wrist, managing to twist both of my arms behind my back as the kiss grew intensity.

_What the fuck are you doing?_ I was screaming at myself even as I returned the kiss. The simple touch combined with my already pumped adrenaline was a deadly combination. I couldn't stop kissing him even if I wanted to at that moment; deep inside a dam broke and I pressed my body into his taller frame.

We collided with my car but I barely felt anything but the pressure on my wrists and his lips deliciously bruising mine. I struggled to free my hands but it made him only tighten his grip on me, a low growl escaping his mouth when I bit down on his tongue in response.

It was the beep from a patrol car going by that had us breaking apart and I buried my face into his jacket in order to block the officer's view. Thankfully he kept going after another warning beep and we stood there pressed against each other.

"You should go home."

I pushed away from him and ignored the gruff tone of his voice. "I can't." I frowned as I noticed my hands were shaking and clenched them into fists. "I can't go back there right now."

"Why; what happened?"

"Don't act like you fucking care Warrick." I stepped back but he caught my arm. "Get off me."

"Did something happen with you and Nick?"

I watched his eyes focus on my hand and I snatched my arm away. "I just can't go back there, okay?" I pressed my hand against my back to check my knife in a move I hoped was casual.

"I don't live that far from here…"

I stepped forward and slapped him, the sound echoing through the parking lot.

Eyes wide, Warrick lifted his hand to his face. "What the fuck Angela?"

"How far?"

"You just…"

"That was for kissing me without my permission. Nick and I broke off our engagement but I didn't say I became desperate."

He snorted as he lowered his hand. "You kissed me back."

Rolling my eyes, I dug into my jacket for my keys. "So how far?" I asked again. "And you better have booze."

161616161616161616

Even with losing a lot in his divorce from Tina, I expected Warrick's apartment to resemble a man who had lived his entire life in Vegas but what I found was rather depressing even for my taste. It was barely furnished and in definite need of a good cleaning but what really caught my eye were the pictures and sheets filled with information that he had taped to an entire wall of his living room.

Warrick shrugged off his jacket and cleared his throat as I approached, eyes scanning everything. I had to hand it to him, the man did his research. As a predator I could appreciate that.

"Talk about obsessed."

"Shut up." He threw his jacket on the back of the couch and moved into the kitchen to return with a bottle of Jack and two glasses. "Do you want something to drink or not?"

I smirked as I turned away from the wall. "You really do know how to show a girl a good time."

Snorting, he sat down on the couch and poured whiskey into both. "So what happened with you and Nick?"

"We decided a hiatus wasn't such a bad idea after all."

"You mean you did, Nick would never agree to that."

I sat down and scooped up the glass to swallow the liquid. "What does it matter? It doesn't." I sat down the glass. "Nothing matters anymore."

Warrick drank from his glass with a nod, watching as I dug into my jacket and pulled out my picture. "What's that?"

"Do you have a lighter?"

"There's one in my jacket."

I dug into the pocket of his jacket to pull out the black lighter there. I sparked it to life, catching the end of the photograph, and with a tilt of my head I watched it slowly begin to burn. "This used to be my life." I whispered. "But I found out it was a lie. My entire existence until now has been a lie."

Warrick poured more Jack into our glasses. "Is that what you and Nick-"

"I don't want to talk about that." I dropped the burning picture into the ash tray on the coffee table, continuing to watch as it burned. "It's funny how losing one person changes everything."

"Tell me about it."

_You really wouldn't want to hear the entire story Warrick, especially the part where I enjoy cutting bad people into tiny pieces. _

"Look Angela, about what happened at the bar-"

_Bad people do bad things and in all its irony I'm a very bad person. Why stop now? _I knocked Warrick's glass from his hand and silenced him with my mouth as I straddled his lap. The second our lips touched it was like an eruption, his hands grabbed at my hips. The kiss deepened without even the slightest hesitation and I clung to him, barely even realizing our move from the couch to his bedroom until I felt the mattress beneath me.

Warrick pulled away and I opened my eyes to watch him shed his shirt and undo the buckle of his jeans. My heart was racing in my chest, fingers clinging to the comforter.

_This is what you wanted isn't it? A chance to prove how bad you are? Then prove it._

I pushed back the voice I thought had been long locked away and reached out to help him. From there it was a frenzied mess of knocking hands, curses and tangled limbs in clothing. Warrick's body covered mine and I welcomed him, banishing any thought I had of reality and concentrating only on how it felt to lose myself in something forbidden. The thrill was there, that dangerous edge, and inside of me there was a cackle of delight accompanied by the roar of something more primal.

I lost myself in him and time held no meaning, my arms open each time he came back for more. I clung to him as we fell over an edge we both had been dancing on for years. Sweating and fighting hard to regain equilibrium, the world came spiraling back and I closed my eyes not ready to face the harsh reality that still existed in my shattered world.


	17. Episode 2x17

**Chapter Seventeen: There's No Business like Your Business**

It was barely past seven in the morning but I was wide awake, my gaze locked on my cell phone that had yet to ring. I had managed to go through three cigarettes before Warrick came out of the bedroom. Somewhere behind me he moved and I kept still out of knowing even the slightest movement would incite a conversation.

He said nothing however as he appeared to take a seat beside me and grab the cigarettes. I snuffed out mine and rose from the table.

"I-"

"I have to go." I cut him off. "Get rid of the cigarettes, they're bad for you."

Warrick lit the cigarette from where it hung from the corner of his mouth. "Angela…"

"No, we're not going to talk about it. You're going to shower and get ready for work and I'm going to leave." I shrugged on my jacket. "And get rid of this shit on the wall too while you're at it." I motioned at the papers and photos of Gedda and his henchmen. "It's pathetic."

"If you're going to leave then just leave. My personal business isn't your fucking concern Angela."

I grabbed my keys from the coffee table. "I didn't say I was concerned."

"I don't regret it."

I stopped with my hand on the open door and paused to look back at him. "I don't either." I looked away. "But that doesn't make it right." Slamming the door, I moved as quickly as I could to my car and got in, the engine roaring to life.

1717171717171717171717

I shut the door to the house quietly behind me and listened to the sound of silence that greeted me. I took my time in approaching the back bedroom I shared with Nick but it was useless, a note on the refrigerator catching my attention. I plucked the note off and stared down at the words. He had chosen to go in for a double shift, the leftovers from the night before now in the fridge.

Fuddles was nowhere to be found as I walked slowly to the bedroom. There was no need to worry, the small dog probably was over at the neighbors again since Nick had given no indication on the note as to when he expected me to actually read it. It was almost as if he didn't expect me at all but the fact he had signed the note with the expression of love above his name made my chest tighten.

I moved through the motions of showering and changing into new clothes like a zombie, even a fresh pot of coffee doing nothing to shake me from my fuzzy haze. I felt like a stranger in my own house.

The urge to gather things and simply vanish was gone as quickly as it appeared in my mind. There was no escaping the knowledge that I was going to have to face him and we were going to have to talk. More words had to be said, some sort of… agreement had to be made.

Sitting beside the pool, my feet in the water, I debated on whether or not to tell him about what I had done the previous night with his best friend. A part deep inside of me told me it was the best option for the both of us, another part screaming at me to keep my mouth shut.

"If you want to destroy him, go ahead."

I sipped from my mug and stared out into the landscape. "I wondered when you'd be back."

Nicole chuckled from where she sat at the patio table. "You really didn't think you could get rid of me forever did you?"

"We had an agreement."

"We did." She nodded. "One you aren't holding your end of I might mention. I told you I'd let you sit in the driver's seat but I wanted a piece of the action too. So far? No action Angela." She chuckled. "Well, unless you count the action from last night."

With a sigh I continued to stare straight ahead and concentrate on the water touching my skin. "I'm not telling him."

"That's up to you Sweetheart but let me tell you what's not." The sounds of her footsteps grew louder and I shifted my gaze to see her shadow on the surface of the water, a shadow I knew only I could see. "We're in this together and whether you like it or not, one day you're going to realize you're more than this cookie cutter life you've put together for yourself. We've got a job to do, The Artist is still out there cutting up women so think about that the next time you're off crying over spilled lies."

"And what would you have me do?"

She laughed richly in my ear. "This isn't about me Angela, never has been; I'm just a voice. You? You're the weapon, always have and always will be."

"I'm beginning to think you're right."

"Of course I am; why wouldn't I be? After all…" Nicole smiled. "I'm you."

1717171717171717171717

No one paid me any attention as I walked through the station halls. I had at least four hours before I was supposed to clock in for my shirt but I couldn't stay home anymore, the cold silence of the usually warm home deafening. My hands itched for something to do, anything to distract me from what I knew eventually I'd have to face.

"Angel?"

I paused but didn't turn around. Greg appeared beside me, his hand settling on my arm. My eyes focused on the touch and I flinched before I took a step away from him. I brought my eyes to his and saw Andy. I lifted my hand to shove back the hair hanging in my face and Greg's eyes followed the movement.

"Do you… do you need to talk?"

"About what?"

"Well, I…" He cleared his throat and motioned at my hand. "Nick told me you had fought and I-"

"That's none of your business Greg." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "I need to go talk to Grissom." I pushed past him but froze again as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, his cheek pressing against my back.

"I love you Angel Cake. I'm here if you need me."

I closed my eyes and fought desperately to not push him away.

"What in the world are you two doing?"

Opening my eyes at the same time Greg released me we both turned to see Grissom. His glasses were on the tip of his nose as he stared at us, folders stuck under his right arm. He lifted his eyebrows as he looked at me and I stepped forward. "I want to clock in now."

"Why don't you come into my office and we'll talk about that?"

I nodded and didn't look at Greg again as I started in the direction of Grissom's office. As usual I relaxed the second I entered the office filled with its eclectic selection of bugs and animals. Grissom's office was a perfect mix of business and casual, obvious affection put into every detail. I took a seat and watched Grissom walk around the edge of his desk to sit down.

"You're not scheduled to clock in for another four hours Angela."

"I know that."

"Nick came in for a double today. Is there something I should know?" He adjusted his glasses as he watched me closely. "Something you'd like to talk about maybe?"

"Do you like talking to people about your relationship with Sara?"

"Well, no but-"

"No." I cut him off. "I don't want to talk about it. I just want to work."

Grissom leaned back in his seat. "I'm not entirely sure extra work is what you need right now or even Nick for that matter. You both should go home and-"

"I'm fine. Nick is fine; we're all just fine, and instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs I think I can get in some extra time to help clear out cases and make room for the rush we know is coming. Don't give me excuses about time off because we both know you never take any; after all, you're here before your shift starts as well." I stood up from the chair. "Now are you going to let me work or not?"

"Of course she can."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Ecklie standing in the open doorway of the office.

"It's good to see you so enthusiastic and ready to go to work Angela. We could do with that a lot more around here. Feel free to clock in as soon as you leave."

Grissom stood up from his chair as well. "I'm not sure that-"

"A valuable asset isn't something you should hold back Gil. It can end up hindering your whole department."

"Thank you sir." I ignored Grissom and the look of obvious concern on his face. "I'll get to work."

Ecklie smiled smugly as if he had won some sort of prize but in reality he was the one being used, not the other way around. "Good."

Without waiting, I made my way past him and took the elevator to the morgue. As soon as I slipped on my scrubs, I threw myself into helping the current shift with their work. Four hours flew by in the blink of an eye and I was finishing up sewing a body when the morgue door opened, Michael appearing.

Already dressed in his scrubs, if he was surprised to see me already working he made no mention of it. He simply placed down his belongings and joined me at the gurney. I concentrated on my final stitch as he snapped on a pair of gloves.

"Why don't you go get some coffee? I'll finish up here."

"I don't need coffee and I don't need you to finish up for me. I'm almost done." I cut the thread and lowered my tools into the tray to my right.

"What can I do?"

"I don't know Michael; what can you do?" I snapped at him. "Why are you even still shadowing me?"

"Grissom said-"

"Grissom says a lot because he likes to hear himself talk." I shifted the sheet back over the body and grabbed the front of the gurney. "He's full of fortune cookie wisdom and stories that get you nowhere but confused. Move."

Michael stepped back and I tried hard to ignore the hurt and confusion flashing across his face. He began to fidget with a black cord around his neck but he said nothing as I shoved the body into a cabinet and closed the door.

I marched to my desk and grabbed a file to begin writing down the final notes of my report. Silence filled the lab. I could see Michael opening and closing his mouth as if he was constantly changing his mind 

about what he wanted to say, his fingers still fidgeting with his necklace, weight shifting from side to side. "Stop before I kick you out a window."

"Did something happen with Nick?" He blurted out. The second my gaze landed on his he flinched and nervously cleared his throat. "You know my secret; you know I'll keep yours." He smiled weakly. "Well, my secret isn't much of one and I'm not ashamed of who I am or who I love but you know what I mean. The work place is one of the toughest ones to be accepted for who you really are."

_My secrets would make yours look like child play. _Inside I wanted to laugh. _You want the truth? You can't handle the truth. _I focused my attention back down on the file in my hands. "The gossip mill around here is horrendous so I suppose you'll hear eventually anyway but we broke off our engagement. End of story."

"End of story?" Michael shook his head. "But you two love each other! How can it be that simple?"

"Because it's reality Michael."

"I know the way you two look at each other and that's not something you can just walk away from willingly." He looked amusingly uncertain even if his words were stern. "I saw him earlier and I knew something must have happened because last night at the restaurant you both were practically glowing. If you need to talk I-"

"You're talking entirely too much for your own good already." I cut him off with a look. Closing the folder, I slid it into my Inbox and grabbed for another. For several minutes I studied the words typed there without even really seeing them. "You saw him earlier?"

"He's been here since this morning. I came in to get my check around ten. He looked really… sad."

I didn't look away from the file. "He'll be okay."

"Of course he will because you'll work things out." Michael nodded to himself. "I just want you to know that-"

The morgue door swung open and we both looked over to see Warrick with three coffees in a tray in his right hand. My grip tightened on the file as his eyes met mine.

"Hey."

Something dark shifted at my side. _Go away. Go away. Go far fucking away. _I closed the file quickly, holding it with both hands.

_Aw, look, he even brought one for me._

Ignoring the laughter, I lowered the file onto my desk and cleared my throat. "Hey."

"I brought coffee." Warrick came forward and extended the tray, Michael smiling softly as he took one. Warrick's green eyes met mine again. "Here."

Slowly I reached out to take the one closest to me. "Thanks." I stared down at the cup completely blank at what to really say to him. I went with what was easiest, sarcasm. "Why the special treatment?"

"Who said I didn't poison them?"

My eyebrows rose and I smirked at hearing Michael coughing into his hand. Warrick managed a small smile of his own and glanced away from me to eye Michael. "You alright there buddy?"

"Wrong pipe, that's all." Michael waved a hand. "Thank you for the coffee. I'm going to go grab some sugar and some stirrers from upstairs."

"Take your time." I sipped at the French Vanilla flavored liquid as the morgue doors swung shut behind my assistant, my eyes locked on Warrick's. The moment was full with our usual uncomfortable tension but now the level had been raised with the clear awareness of exactly how many lines we had crossed so willingly the night before. It hadn't been about love or hate, hadn't been about hurting anyone, but had simply been about finally giving into temptation.

At least that's what I imagined it had been like for him. For me there was something simpler at play. The choices I had made were reflective of what mattered most to me, being in control of my own actions and doing what I wanted. It wasn't about hurting Nick and it wasn't about cheating just to see if I could get away it, it was simply about connecting to something darker and giving into it. Maybe darkness was the only thing that I ever really connected to; maybe I was fooling myself in thinking I was worthy of anything more but that overwhelming darkness.

"If you're expecting payment for the coffee, you can get the fuck out of my morgue."

Warrick lowered his cup. "What makes you so sure this isn't payment from last night?"

My eyes flashed and I tightened my grip on my cup. "Easy. The coffee is neither hot nor sweet enough to be compensation." I smiled thinly. "And you didn't bring doughnuts."

"Fair enough."

I sipped at my coffee again and turned towards my desk. "Shouldn't you get to a case?"

"I think we should talk first."

"About what?"

"About what happened between us last night… I think-"

I turned to face him again so quickly that coffee splashed out onto my fingers. I ignored the pain that momentarily flooded my system. "You think entirely too much, that's always been one of your biggest problems Warrick. I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't want Nick finding out."

"And we're on the same page for once." I smiled thinly. "What happened was…"

_Thought you didn't want to talk about it Angela? Let me talk about it, it was… something I've searched for a long time, something so dangerous and forbidden that I couldn't help but go after it. Bad people and their bad ways; you can't stop yourself from being who you really are Angela. I think you're starting to see that now._

"I want us to be okay."

I blinked at him several times. "We are okay."

"Are we?" Warrick stepped forward. "Are we really okay? Cause I gotta tell you Angela; after what happened it's pretty clear we don't hate each other and the last thing I want is to continue this little game of fighting just because we're in the same room together. If you want to forget… whatever it was, you're going to but I can't go back to the way things used to be." He cleared his throat. "Sometimes you can't go back whether you want to or not."

I knew he wasn't entirely talking about me and I recognized and understood the meaning behind everything. I couldn't help but agree. There were other things that would need my concentration in the days to come, things like The Artist. By allowing myself to get caught up in other things he was continuously getting the better of me and I couldn't have that, not in my city. This city isn't big enough for the two of us, one of us would have to go and I knew for certain it wouldn't be me. The economy sucks right now; do you realize how hard it is to find a good paying job these days?!

Sitting down the coffee cup, I extended my hand. Warrick slid his into mine, the handshake firm and we stood there staring at each other. The morgue door opened and we broke apart to stare at Nick who entered. He gazed between us slowly before settling his gaze on me. I watched him lift up a white paper bag.

"See?" I cleared my throat as I directed the question at Warrick. "Doughnuts."

Warrick nodded. "I see." He flashed a small smile at Nick. "Hey man."

"Hey." Nick came forward. "I didn't mean to interrupt…"

"You're not." I spoke up quickly. "Warrick and I were just…" I looked at him. "We were just getting to know each other a little better."

Warrick nodded again. "Next time I try to make friends with a woman I'll remember to bring doughnuts." He hit Nick on the shoulder. "See you upstairs."

"Yeah, man, see you." Nick looked at me as Warrick slipped from the room, neither of us speaking. He lifted the bag. "I heard you came in early and thought you'd be hungry."

I ignored the tension in the room as I took the bag. "Not as early as you." I opened it to peer down at the rainbow sprinkled doughnut. "Thank you."

"I… I was hoping we could talk."

"I haven't changed my mind."

His face slightly fell but he nodded. "That's… Well, it's not fine but I guess I can understand." He pulled on his ear nervously. "I just… I just don't want it to be the end of us. I walked away from you and I know that's a big part of why you left and I just wanted to apologize. I love you Angela and as much as it hurt to hear you didn't want to get married to me right now, I can live with that. I can live without the wedding or the children for now but I can't live without you."

Guilt twisted my insides but at the same time the beat of my heart stayed calm, the blood through my veins still pumping smoothly. "I think we need time."

"Do you want to move out? Cause if you do, I can't agree to that. I'll move out before I have you do that."

"I don't want you to move. It's your home."

"It's our home Angela."

We both shifted uncomfortably, the deadlock obvious to both of us. "About what I said…"

"You were upset Angela, the news that your parents adopted you, well, I can't blame you for being upset about that." Nick started to reach out but then clasped his hands together.

"They're not my parents, they never were." I turned away and sat the back down on the desk beside my coffee. "I'll move my things and go to a hotel, it's not a problem…"

"No, I don't want that. I want to work this out and if space is what you want, I can sleep on the couch. I don't want you to leave." He sighed. "I don't want you to leave me."

I grabbed the edge of my chair and closed my eyes. His hands slid down my arms. I exhaled as he leaned into me, his face resting in the curve of my neck. I turned to face him and he took me into his arms and I buried my face into his neck. My body began to shake with unshed tears threatening to fall and inside a battle raged between light and darkness.

The morgue phone rang and I twisted away to answer it. "Wilkins."

"I've got a crime scene that's going to need immediate attention."

I grabbed a pen from the jar by my computer. "What's the address Brass?" I scribbled down what he told me and paused as I stared down at the information.

"Angela?" Brass sighed. "Is Sanders distracting you again? Angela!"

"I'm here. I know this bar."

"Hopefully not." He quipped dryly. "It's a dive. See you soon?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes, I'm already out the door." I hung up the phone and tossed the pen back into the jar. "I have to go."

"Can we at least-"

"Later Nick." I grabbed my office jacket and my keys. "This is more important."

"More important? How can you say that?"

I met his eyes with an unflinching stare. "Because it is."

The morgue doors opened and Grissom appeared. He looked surprised but slightly relieved to see us talking and I wanted to roll my eyes. "There's a 419…"

"I know. Brass just called."

"Good. I sent Greg down but I want you to go too Nick."

I watched Nick nod tersely. I grabbed my kit from beside the table. "Who's the detective in charge?"

"Henderson and Wendell are already there."

"Great." I looked over at Nick. "Do you want to ride with me?"

I imagine he surprised Grissom as well when he shook his head. "I'll see you there."

1717171717171717171717

The bar looked the same in the day time as it did at night: desolate, dirty, and it smelled. The only difference this time was that there was a body in the back alley, a body that could have been mine but unfortunately the girl wasn't as prepared as I had been that night. I approached with my kit, taking in the scene to see Greg taking pictures while Brass talked to an officer. Nick had beaten me to the scene but I still had yet to find out where exactly he was.

_Concentrate. This is more important, you said so yourself._

A low whistle had me glancing left to see Detective Henderson. He was wearing Aviators, his long hair touching his shoulders as he approached in jeans and a tee shirt. "If they had told me you were the one showing up I would have worn something fancier."

I sat down my kit to snap on my gloves. "You own something fancier?"

"Burn." He chuckled. "One of these days you're going to admit you want me."

"And ruin all this fun of keeping you guessing?" I looked towards the alley. "What do we have?"

"Vics name is Ellen Marion, twenty-two year old graduate from UCLA. We've got a guy with blood on his hands, says he was trying to help her when he found her in the alley with barely a stitch of clothing on 

but the bastard's lying; I can feel it." Henderson stuck a toothpick into his mouth. "As soon as we find and ID…"

I dug into my back pocket and pulled out James McCoy's driver's license. "This your guy?"

Henderson took the laminate and cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah. How'd you get this?"

"I found it on the ground."

"Your prints on this? We'll need to exclude you but you already knew that didn't you?"

I shot him a sly smile. "You're not as dumb as you look Henderson, anyone ever tell you that?"

"I've been told lots of things especially by beautiful women. Want to add to the list?" He shoved his glasses to the top of his head. "The invitation to that little Italian place is still open…"

"You don't quit do you?"

"Not when it comes to something I want."

I grabbed my kit. "In case you've forgotten already my name is Angela, not Dara. Try your mind tricks on someone willing to fall for them." I left him and strode towards the alley. Just inside the tape I dropped my kit, my eyes catching sight of Brass, Nick with him as they talked with James McCoy beside the back door of the bar. His wide, scared eyes caught sight of me and seemed to grow even larger as I began to approach the body.

"Hey. Pay attention." Brass snapped his fingers in front of James's face.

James swallowed hard, hands shaking as he extended them to Nick.

"You on something man?" Nick questioned pushing up his baseball cap. "You weren't shaking a second ago."

"I did it. I want to go to jail."

Brass and Nick exchanged confused looks before concentrating on James again.

"I want to go to jail right now." James stuttered. "I admit to killing her."

I hid my smirk as I squatted down next to the body and lifted up the sheet. The victim had been beaten severely, her clothes completely ripped from her body. I stared into her open eyes for only a split second before I covered her face again.


	18. Episode 2x18

**A/N: ** _Sorry the delay! Thank you again for the reviews; KEEP REVIEWING! As for any errors in this chapter, I'm in a hurry right now. Forgive me? _

**Chapter Eighteen: Confession is for Quitters  
**

_Bless me father for I have sinned. I'm not really one for confession…._

I blew a stream of smoke out from between my lips and watched as the sun rose from its nightly slumber. The room around me was unfamiliar but it no longer mattered to me. The only thing I cared about was the job and keeping everyone around me at a safe distance.

Killing The Artist was the single most important thing now but even with that knowledge I questioned myself. Would I be able to go through with it? There was a small chance I wouldn't survive. The Artist was one of the most ruthless, cunning serial killers I had ever encountered. There was a chance he would be better than me but if I was going down, I was going to make sure I took him down with me.

"Do you want some coffee?"

I flicked the ashes from my cigarette into ashtray beside me and after a second's hesitation snuffed it out completely. "No."

"How about something to eat?"

"No."

"Is there anything you do want or do you just come here for the sex?"

Dressed in just my panties and bra I turned from the window to look at Henderson. He was wearing his jeans but nothing else, that long brown hair still messy. "After all the time you spent chasing me, don't tell me you're offended."

"Me? Hell no." He grinned as he leaned against the doorway and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm a bit surprised but offended, not in the slightest."

"Surprised?"

"You show up at my door, I barely get two words in before we're on the floor so yeah surprised is a good word for it Angela. Besides, for almost two years now you and Nick have been-"

"Shut up." I spat. "Don't you dare mention his name."

"I'm just saying-"

"Well, you talk too much Henderson, that's always been one of your problems." I grabbed my shirt and tugged it on quickly, eyes roaming the room for my jeans.

"So what, you two get into an argument and now he's sleeping on the couch while you're fucking around on him? Is that the name of the game now?"

I stopped my search to stare at him. "You don't know what you're talking about so I'd shut the fuck up while I was ahead if I were you."

Henderson pushed away from the doorframe. "I don't? I know you've been sleeping around with Warrick. You might be able to fool everyone else but I see how you two act around each other, the whispers, the lunches… Everyone down at the damn station might be focused on Dara's love life and this Artist bastard but I'm not so blind."

"No, you're just obnoxious." I found my jeans and tugged them on, buttoning them quickly. "My sex life isn't really any of your damn business and don't act like you're the innocent party here. No one took advantage of you. If Dara wasn't so busy fucking bouncing back and forth between Warrick and Edward, she'd be in your bed and that's what is really pissing you off."

Henderson dragged his hands through his hair again and sighed. "She's back with Warrick now. Is that why you came here?"

"I came here because I wanted to fuck and I didn't want to be asked a million fucking questions afterwards. So much for that."

He watched me looking around for my keys. "They're in the living room where you dropped them along with your jacket." He slid his hands into his pockets. "Can I ask you why?"

"Why what?" I replied gruffly.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? To Nick? That man loves you and you're fooling yourself if you think you don't love him too."

"What I feel about Nick isn't any of-"

"I know, my damn business but Sweetheart, this isn't the answer. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the tumble under the sheets with you, I really did, but the last person in the world I ever expected to act like this is you."

I grunted as I shoved past him and stormed into the living room. "That's because you don't know me Henderson. You know what you see, what I let you see." I found my keys and slung on my jacket, stopping just at the door with my hand on the knob. "I came here because it was the only choice I had, take that how you want, but it's the truth. I came here because I'm not willing to risk hurting Nick anymore than I have already and I know you won't say anything."

"If you don't want to hurt him, I'd suggest talking to him. I've never seen a man look so miserable in my entire life."

"And do what Henderson? Ask for forgiveness and try to start over?" I wasn't entirely sure if I was still talking about Nick, the words just there waiting to be spoken.

"It can't hurt to try Angela."

"That's where you're wrong." I jerked open the door. "The only person that can forgive me now is God and right now, he's not listening."

1818181818181818

_I'm going to Hell. No amount of confession is saving me from that fate._

Maybe Henderson was right. Was I slowly spiraling out of control and becoming something unstoppable? Had I gone too far? For four weeks since the crime scene at the bar, I had slowly distanced myself from every single person including Nick. He slept on the couch, me in the master bedroom when I was there with Fuddles dashing back and forth between us in confusion.

It was wrong of me to sleep around and I knew that but the choice was there and I took it. I was willing to throw myself into that darkness instead of slipping away into one that lead to only spilled blood and guts. In those few short moments I was alive and lost in something I could control. There were no expectations there, no strings, and when the sun rose again I found myself still free with the world in front of me.

No, I was completely wrong to have done the things I have done but what use was it to stop now. I didn't expect to make it to see Nick's face again smile at me like he had before. I would continue to push him away so that when he lost me perhaps it wouldn't hurt so badly. Maybe, just maybe, he'd survive me.

A part of me wanted to die. I wanted this to be over, the internal struggle, the lies, the balancing act, all of it. I was tired of pretending, tired of holding back when what I really wanted to do was go back to the way things used to be before Nick came into my life. He would have been safe now, at a safe distance, but now it was too late to turn back.

I jumped, startled, as my phone vibrated loudly against the dashboard of my car. I watched it dance until the third ring. "Wilkins."

"We've got a crime scene."

Leaning my head back against the seat, I sighed and closed my eyes. "What is it this time Grissom?"

"Two bodies at the Diamond Ruff motel on the strip. Call Michael, I want everyone on this."

"Any particular reason why?"

"The Artist is back."

1818181818181818

I passed at least two officers throwing up into trash bags and inwardly I laughed. Everything inside of me was bouncing in anticipation and the second I crossed the threshold of the room and smelled the 

fresh spilled blood I felt my entire body shudder. I couldn't describe the pure rapture I experienced as I looked around the small hotel room.

Blood was everywhere: all over the lamps, the tables, the bed, the dresser, even the walls. I saw one woman on the bed, her arms crossed over her chest in the position vampires were famous for sleeping, and immediately noticed her hands were missing. A quick scan of the room alerted me that the other woman was in one of the room chairs, sitting up straight, her throat slashed. Her eyes were also missing.

"Someone's been a very busy boy."

"You've got that right."

I looked away from the second victim. "Try not to throw up on my shoes Sanders. I just bought these."

Small smile, he fidgeted beside me. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Worry about yourself. I'll be fine." I readjusted my gloves and grabbed the thermometer from my kit. "Try not to step in any of the blood."

"Um…" He looked down at the covered floor and back up at me to see me smirking. "Very funny." I saw his body relaxed but I didn't give him a chance to say anything else before I approached the bed.

As I waited for liver temperature I studied the mural on the wall. By the look of the paintings the two victims were friends who enjoyed doing a lot together and I do mean a lot. There were no other people in their mural, just the sights of Vegas: the lights, the gambling machines, the liquor. I caught sight of the shadowed face between them and knew that was meant to represent The Artist. Obviously he didn't look too fondly on the idea of sharing.

The thermometer beeped and I jotted down the numbers before I scanned the body. There were lacerations on her neck and wrists from what looked to be from the use rope and duct tape. She had tried to fight back but it was in vain, the drugs probably haven kicked in and leaving her defenseless. I glanced over my shoulder to stare at the other victim. _You probably had to watch the whole time._

I straightened to approach the second woman when a commotion at the door had me pausing. I watched as Dara entered, Edward following closely behind her. Her eyes darted between the two, she inhaled, and then much to my surprise, a hand flew up to her mouth seconds before she bolted.

Edward watched her go but he didn't take chase. It was actually Warrick who left and I watched as Edward followed the progress before he shifted his attention back to the crime scene. His eyes met mine and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at seeing the emotion flickering there. It was gone as soon as it appeared and was replaced with the calculated calm usually lingering there.

We stared at each other for only a second before Michael came through the door, his facial expression one of horror. It looked like he was going to dash as well but then he composed himself and pushed past Edward. "I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic is hell right now."

"Don't worry about it; just help me." I pointed at the victim in the chair. "Liver temp, the whole nine yards; go."

We began to work methodically, the uniforms and CSI around us working in a thorough pace. We all wore booties from the sheer fact it was impossible not to step in blood. The victims had died in a harsh, vindictive manner. No mercy had been shown. _Good because no mercy's going to be shown to you._

"Bag these up." I stood up and didn't even seem to notice my bloody gloves.

"Not yet, I want to look first."

I turned to see Dara returning. She was still pale but a look of determination was on her face, gloves now on her hands. Nodding I took a step back. "Be my guest Detective."

"Dara…"

"I said I want to look." She shrugged Edward's hand away and shot him a look. "Back off."

He nodded and I shot him a look as well, not moving from beside the bed. "Are you okay?"

Her startled gaze settled on me. "Me?"

"Yes, you Detective Waters." I slowly looked over at Edward before I leveled my cool gaze at her. "Are you okay?" I repeated.

She nodded. "I'm fine." Her eyes went to the bed. "Thank you."

I said nothing as she studied the body, simply watching as Edward watched her. His gaze shifted every now and then between us and then to Warrick still doing his job as he hovered nearby.

"What's TOD?"

"I'd say seven hours ago."

"Any indication to COD?"

"Loss of blood I'd say. He strangled and tortured her before he gave her a tranquilizer and removed the hands." I stared down at the body and merely blinked at the carnage. "Michael will have to fill you in on the second victim."

"He's escalating." Dara murmured to herself. "Something must have happened to make him this upset. This was sloppy in comparison to the other kills."

Edward snorted behind her. "You call this sloppy?"

"I don't see any other crime scenes turned into blood orgies, do you?" I snapped at him first. "He was obviously very angry and not calculative like he usually is, and stepping up to two victims in one night is 

an accomplishment in itself to even finish. I'm surprised he had time to remove something from both victims."

"And why is that?"

I eyed him and looked away only when I noticed Nick enter the room, his baseball cap pulled low onto his head. "Because this type of place rents by the hour and people tend to interrupt when you take too long."

"Fan of seedy motels are we?"

I noticed several people look towards us but I kept my eyes locked on his. "Actually I got that tip from your mother."

"Now is not the time for that." Grissom barked from the bathroom.

"Sorry Boss; I'm just having a little fun with Eddie." I smirked at him and let my gaze slide back to Nick to find him looking between Edward and myself. There was something there in the hard line of his jaw that had me moving towards him. "It's okay." I kept my voice low. "I'm fine."

Nick tugged his hat backwards roughly. "I don't like that guy. He says something to you again I'll make him regret it."

I felt a hard part of me begin to melt as I gazed at him. "That's sweet."

"Is it?" His eyes met mine. "Are you sure it's not annoying?"

I stared at him in confusion. "Nick…"

"I just want to make sure I'm not overstepping my boundaries. I don't know; you might want the attention from him."

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"I know about you and Henderson, that's what that means." He looked away from me. "You don't have to explain anything. We're not… We're on a break right? You can do whatever or whoever you want and I can't say a damn thing about it."

I was almost speechless, my mind racing a hundred miles an hour. "I…"

Without another word, he pushed past me and accepted the camera from Greg across the room. I watched him throw himself into his work and suddenly no one would meet my eyes. Even Greg avoided my gaze. I allowed my gaze to harden as everything tightened up inside of me. _Have it your way. _

_This is what you asked for isn't it?_

I ripped my gloves off my hands and grabbed for my kit. "As soon as Waters is done I want the bodies bagged Michael."

"Are you-"

"I'll see you at the office." I cut him off shortly.

Once I reached the SUV I actually stumbled. I threw out a hand and collided with the side of the car, turning to press my back against it and close my eyes. I regulated my breathing as best I could before opening them again. I had never intended on Nick finding out; I had never intended on hurting him; that was the last thing I wanted.

"Here." A cigarette appeared in my line of sight and I followed the fingers holding it to stare at Edward. Lit cigarette already in his own mouth, he shook the one he held. "Come on."

I took it from him and ignored his lighter while I dug for the one in my pants pocket. I released a stream of smoke from the corner of my mouth and said nothing as I stared at him.

"It's pretty tense back there."

I tilted my head as I took another pull from my cigarette. "Were you expecting Disney songs and jazz fingers?"

Edward smirked and flicked the ashes off his cigarette. "Good point but then again, you're full of those aren't you Angela?"

"I have my moments." I straightened up from the side of the SUV. "Here's another good point; I'm not interested in fucking you so don't even waste your time trying."

"I didn't-"

"Yes, you did. I know you heard what Nick said; everyone fucking heard what Nick said." I threw down my cigarette and put it out with the heel of my boot. "So just drop it."

"Maybe I just want to talk."

"Oh yeah?" I snorted and walked around to jerk open the back doors so I could throw my kit inside. "About what? Our feelings maybe? Perhaps you thought we'd bond over our love life or lack thereof; is that it?"

"Perhaps I only wish to get to know you better."

I slammed the doors shut. "Trust me, you don't." I grabbed my keys from my pocket. "And no offense, but I'm not interested in getting to know anyone anymore. It's a waste of my time."

"It must have been difficult, losing your brother like you did." Halfway in the car, I paused and glanced over my shoulder at him. Edward flicked his cigarette casually onto the concrete. "But sometimes loss is necessary to show us who we really are."

"And who did you lose?"

He smiled thinly. "I thought you weren't interested in getting to know me."

Glaring at him, I slammed the door shut. I didn't even check to see if he was out of the way as I backed up but as I put it into drive, I saw him in the rearview standing there. I continued forward in drive instead of reversing like I so desperately wanted.


	19. Episode 2x19

**A/N: **_OMG YOU GUYS! There's only like 22 chapters total for this part of the trilogy. 22! Please review!_

**Chapter Nineteen: This is the Funeral of a Good Girl**

To describe the atmosphere at the station as tense was putting it lightly. No one would look at me but I could feel everyone staring. I heard the whispers, some speaking loudly as if they wanted me to hear the accusations and harsh words but when I turned there was no one there. Passing through the main floor, I saw Henderson talking near the coffee machine with several of his detective buddies. He was laughing, having a grand old time and when his gaze shifted in my direction I looked away and kept going.

I wasn't exactly sure how Nick had found out about Henderson but seeing the detective looking, well alive, made me at least think Nick had yet to talk to him. Nick took his job seriously and wasn't much for acting out so I imagine he might not say a word at all. He probably would request not to work with Henderson if possible but other than that I wasn't sure exactly what his overall reaction would be. All I knew for certain was that at this point in time no one was treating Henderson like a disease.

_Oh no, that honor is reserved especially for you, my dear._

With a grunt, I entered the morgue, shoving the door out of my way roughly. _You just gotta love double standards. _I started to prepare for the bodies, my actions happening without me even thinking about them. _I'm not exactly sure the double standards rule applies in this case, you're a slut now. That's just fact._

I snapped my gloves on just as the doors opened but it wasn't Michael that stood in the doorway. For a few slow seconds I stared at Nick and neither of us said anything. The door shut behind him.

"I want to know why."

Surprised as I was by the question, I should have expected it. "What good will that do you?"

"It will help me understand! I'm lost here Angela! I know things have been hard these past four weeks but I thought we were working through them! All I want is an honest answer."

_Honesty is not something I've really ever been good at. _"I don't have an answer that will make you feel any less pain."

"Just tell me why you slept with him."

"How did you find out anyway?" I watched him dig into his jacket as he stepped forward, seconds later handing me a small envelope. I took it from him and slid out the black and white pictures inside of me going to Henderson's house and then coming out that next morning, the times and dates stamped on the photos. Swallowing, I pushed them back inside. "Where did you get these?"

"Does it even matter now?"

"Yes, it does."

He ran a hand over his shortly cut hair. "There were on my car when I came out of the house."

I looked down at the envelope to see nothing but Nick's name on the front. _Son of a bitch, whoever sent the box sent the pictures. If it was The Artist, he was confusing the hell out of me. Why not just kill me if I was somehow the next intended victim? _I was starting to believe this had nothing to do with me as a killer and more about me being connected with Dara. If you truly wanted to hurt someone, you went after the people they knew and cared about. _I hate to break it to you Artist but Dara and I aren't exactly braiding each other's hair and having sleepovers. _

"He was there and he didn't expect any commitment from it." I handed back the envelope. "I'm sorry but believe me when I say it had nothing to do with hurting you."

"How can you be so nonchalant?" Nick grabbed back the pictures. "You think I'm hurt solely because of Henderson?" He turned and ripped the entire envelope into pieces, not stopping until everything was ripped and in the trashcan by the door. "I'm hurt because everything was going perfectly and suddenly it all went to hell! I'm hurt because the one person I love most in this world suddenly pulled away from me and became this entirely different person!"

"I never meant to hurt you."

"Well you did Angela. You've hurt me more than anyone ever has but that doesn't change the fact that I still love and care for you."

I blinked at him slowly as if not understanding English. "Don't say things like that. You shouldn't feel that way. In fact, you shouldn't even be here."

"That would make it easier wouldn't it? If I just said screw it and never talked to you again but you know what Angela, I can't because love doesn't work like that. I can't just flip a switch and not give a shit about you anymore. I'm always going to care about you and I'm never going to stop loving you even if all it seems you're trying to do is break my heart."

My entire body flinched at the words and I knew he saw. "I don't want to break your heart."

"Then stop pushing me away." Nick came forward and I froze as he reached out to cup my face with his hands. "You have to stop this Angela; there's no need for you to have to keep doing this on your own. No matter what you've done these past few weeks, it doesn't change how I feel about you. Can't you see how much I love you?"

"You shouldn't." I tried to force my body to stop its sudden shaking but it wouldn't listen. "The things I've done…"

"None of that stuff matters."

_Oh but it would if you truly knew. There are so many layers…_ "I love you Nick."

He relaxed and leaned in to press his forehead against mine. "I know baby." He whispered. "We'll get through this step by step, no rushing and no pressuring I promise but you have to come back; you have to come back to me."

I closed my eyes, my hands gripping onto his shirt and the act of moving into each other's embrace was mutual. I buried my face in his neck and inhaled his scent, the warmth of his body flooding every part of me. Warrick and Henderson had been attempts to fill the void in my life and even with them I found myself thinking of Nick. I could experience a thousand touches and still his face would be the only one I saw.

"I was trying to push you away."

"I know baby." Nick stroked his hands down my back. "I don't fully understand why you did it but I do know I'm not going anywhere. I fucking love you Angela."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed back the embarrassment I felt as I almost clung to him desperately. "I'm so sorry." The apology expanded to so many things but at that moment in time, it was for him alone.

Nick pulled away. I opened my mouth to apologize again but was stopped when he lowered his mouth down to mine. The kiss was explosive and long overdue, weeks having passed since the last time I touched him in any way that expressed love or desire. I clung to him this time and let him kiss me, feeling every ounce of passion in the caress and enjoying it. Even in the eerie cold silence of the morgue I lost myself in his touch, willingly drowning and wanting more. _God, how I've missed you._

A cough had us pulling apart and flustered, we glanced towards the doorway to see Michael and Greg. Both of them were grinning and I smoothed my hands over my clothes as I took a step back from Nick.

"Sorry to interrupt." Greg quipped, eyes glittering happily. "But the bodies from the scene are headed this way. I thought you could use some extra help but I see you have your hands full already."

I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the small grin that had appeared on Nick's face as well. "Thank you. I…." I hesitated only a split second. "We could use the help Greggo, that'd be great."

"And what about me?"

"Oh I don't know Nick." Greg laughed. "You might not be able to keep your hands off the wrong body."

Readjusting my gloves again, I watched Nick and Greg act playful before turning serious as the bodies were carted into the morgue. My eyes watched the bodies as they passed and a tidal wave of emotions hit me all at once. I glanced up to see Nick but when my eyes met his, I instantly felt calmer. Perhaps I was correct in my assumption that I would fail to see another day after a confrontation with The Artist, perhaps not, but I did know one thing for certain.

My love for Nick was never going to change and if I was going to die, I was going to make the most of every moment with him I had left.

191919191919191919

The bodies of Heather Cohen and Victoria Roberts were processed without delay and shelved. The eyes and hands hadn't been found and surprisingly enough I had to give my findings to Ecklie and not Dara or Edward. I told him the information in a dry tone and he scribbled everything down in a notepad before taking my folder and leaving without even so much as a thanks.

Michael and I watched him go but there was no time to exchange insults about him before more cases began to come into the morgue. I lost track of the time, drifting between the cases and thoughts of Nick, and before I knew it, I was clocking out and gathering my things.

I took one last look at the empty morgue before I hit the dimmer switch. How many more times would I follow this step by step pattern? How many more times would I walk this hall as a free woman?

No one said anything to me as I made my way to the parking garage but even if they had I wouldn't have heard a word. I didn't see Henderson, Warrick, or Dara as I walked but I caught sight of Edward at his folder scattered desk, his fingers busy at the computer. He didn't seem to be aware of me at all which surprised me but I simply wished for a thousand more folders to appear on his desk and kept going.

I drove straight home and when I pulled into the driveway relief flooded my system at seeing Nick's truck already there. Fuddles greeted me as soon as I entered the house and I squatted down to pet him, smiling as he stretched out so I had no choice but to scratch his belly.

"He missed you."

I looked up to see Nick in the doorway of the kitchen and stood. "I was here almost every night."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." He smiled to soften his words as he came towards me. I closed my eyes as he reached out to stroke hair away from the side of my face. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "I just want to go to bed."

"Okay." He lowered his hand and took a step back. His eyebrows rose as I grabbed both of his hands before he was out completely out of reach.

"Aren't you tired?"

He nodded.

"Then come to bed."

Nick didn't argue with me as I tugged him through the hallway and into our bedroom. We were both quiet as we undressed, changing into our pajamas, and when we both slid under the covers, it was without hesitation that we met each other halfway.

In the darkness I listened to him sigh, his face resting against my chest. I held him close and let my hands stroke his back. I closed my eyes as his arms tightened around me. He inhaled a deep breath then exhaled slowly, warm breath creating goose bumps on my skin and it was at that moment I realized how much I had truly missed him.

_One of these days he's going to figure out what you are._

Continuing to touch him, I locked Nicole away in a deep part of mind as I had a million times before.

191919191919191919

I watched him sleep for several hours before I allowed myself to follow suit. The peace found in the darkness of my mind unfortunately was short lived. I woke to the sound of a phone ringing and I blinked quickly to focus at the clock on the nightstand. It was almost one in the afternoon and I blinked again as the sun leaking from the blinds momentarily blinded me.

Arm around my waist, Nick let out sigh and reached for the phone. I settled my chin on his chest and watched him as he answered, his eyes still closed. "This is Stokes." He opened his eyes. "No, I haven't. What's up?"

Just the thought of having to go back into work had me sitting up and rubbing at my eyes. I bit down on my bottom lip as I felt Nick's fingers slide down my spine and settle at the small of my back.

"Okay. If I do, I'll let you know Edward." He hung up and saw me staring at him. "What is it baby?"

"I don't like that guy. There's something weird about him."

Nick smiled as he sat up and pressed his lips to my bare shoulder. I leaned into him, my head resting against his. "I'm inclined to agree. Thankfully I don't have to work with him that often." He ran his hand down my back again. "That was about Dara, Angela."

"What about her? She finally get smart and find a new partner?"

"Edward says he hasn't seen her since the crime scene. He's worried."

I cocked an eyebrow at that and was torn between escaping the bed and falling back into his warm embrace. "Maybe she's just avoiding him. You should call Warrick." I reached over him to grab the phone and smiled as he wrapped his arms around me. "No distractions. Call him."

He chuckled and took the phone but still kept his arms around me. I propped my weight up by my elbows against either side of his head and watched him speed dial his friend. A twinge of something hit me but it wasn't guilt and I wasn't going to allow it to develop into that.

"Rick?" Nick frowned as his friend began to talk. "No, I- Edward just called so…" He inhaled. "I can try. I will. Bye."

"What is it?" I knew something was terribly wrong. "She's not with him is she?"

"The last time he saw her she was clocking out early this morning. She's not answering her phone."

Rolling onto my back, I watched him slip from the bed and shove his jeans on. "I heard The Artist sent her pictures of previous victims in a box the other day along with a creepy card. She probably just wants some time to herself without Warrick or Edward breathing down her neck." I watched as he tugged his shirt down over his stomach. _Concentrate Angela. _"She's a big girl; she can take care of herself."

"It's unlike her not to keep her phone on Angela."

"Oh?" I sat up again. "I wouldn't know."

Nick smiled and leaned on the bed so he could brush his lips against my own. "I love you." He pressed his lips against my forehead next. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." I grabbed onto his shirt. "Come back to bed."

"We need to help Rick." His gaze met mine. "We need to help our friends."

I let the back of my fingers trail down his cheek. "Okay." I agreed. "I think we should split up. Call Warrick and see if you can meet up with him. I'll go back to the office."

"Fine but after an hour, we'll meet up again okay? I don't want you to go around by yourself with this Artist guy on the loose. It's possible he-"

"Don't think about it." Crossing over to where he stood, I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Promise to call me in an hour."

"Fine." Chuckling, I kissed him. "I promise."

191919191919191919

One hour came and went and still no Dara. No one could find her and inside of me the bad feeling continued to grow. I wasn't scheduled to work that night so Nick kept me updated almost every hour that passed. A team was sent to her house but they found nothing there nor did they find anything in her car that was parked at Warrick's. Everyone was hot on the case to try to find her now that Ecklie had finally agreed it was a serious case. Just hearing that part from Nick made me want to leave the house and stab Ecklie with a rusty fork in his office chair.

After several hours had passed with no good news, I decided I had waited long enough. Taking my time, I dressed in my black jeans and tee shirt. I strapped my knife to my hip then slid on my long black jacket before I grabbed my keys from the coffee table. Fuddles whimpered with uncertainty from the couch.

"Not you too." I scolded softly. I reached down to scratch his ears. "Daddy will be home soon, don't you worry." Those big brown eyes peered up at me and he whimpered again before licking the palm of my hand. I withdrew my hand. "Be good for Daddy."

I kept the radio off and the windows down in the car, taking in the bright lights and the rich sounds of the city. The first stop on my journey was the most obvious but apparently it wasn't to anyone else I worked with. I had the sneaking suspicion that there might be clues at the last crime scene, something that the staff had missed and The Artist had left unknowingly behind. Dara and I were both right in our thinking that his work had been sloppy. He had made a mistake and I was going to find it since everyone else I worked with seemed too incompetent.

The Diamond Ruff hotel was dimly lit at night, some of the bulbs flickering from a needed change, and I parked in the very back where there was hardly any lighting at all. Flashlight in my hand, I went up the stairs to the second floor and looked around only a few seconds before I kicked open the door and slipped under the police tape. After pictures and samples had been taken, they had laid down boards so people could move about freely and I investigated every inch of the room carefully.

I found nothing but the lingering smell of dried blood and flashes of memory as to what had happened there. The Artist had been in a hurry but still had managed to create a unique masterpiece all of his own. He had injected both women with a tranquilizer and made one watch as the other was tortured. She had to sit and watch every horrifying moment with the knowledge in the back of her mind that it would be her turn next and that there was no escape.

My stomach twisted and for the first time in a long while, I was disgusted. There were rules to follow in every game and when you started forgetting them, you needed someone to come along and remind you of how important they were. I had forgotten myself but thanks to The Artist I was back on track. Now it was time to repay the favor.

Clicking off the flashlight, I exited the room and proceeded back down the stairs. The moment I stepped into the back lot I recognized the change in the air. A dark figure shifted from beside my car and grip tightening on the metal flashlight, I moved towards it with my other hand slipping under my jacket.

I clicked the flashlight on and was surprised to see an unfamiliar man standing there. "Back away from the car." I barked.

"You a cop?"

"LVPD. Back away from the car." I repeated.

Dressed in a wife beater and dark Dickies, the stranger was about six foot one with a shaved head and tattoos down one arm. He did as I instructed but smirked. "You don't look like no cop; show me your badge."

I smirked back. "I go for my ID, you go for your weapon; I've done this song and dance before Punk." I tightened my grip on the handle of my blade. "Why don't we part ways nice and easy, and I'll let it slide that you touched my ride?"

"How about instead you give me what's in your wallet and I'll think about letting you keep the car?"

My light from my flashlight bounced off the switchblade in his hand. "Tempting." I slipped my knife free, the blade several inches longer than his. "Mine's bigger."

The man took a step towards me and he flipped the blade expertly in his hand. "It's not the size that matters but what you do with it Sweetheart."

"Your mother tell you that did she?" I chuckled at the look of anger that flashed across his face. "Look, I'm sure you've heard this before but I don't have time to deal with you right now. Back up or I'm going to make time and believe me when I say it'll annoy the fuck out of me."

He took another step forward to bring himself a mere foot from me and this time I caught sight of the gun slipping free from his pants pocket. "Give me your fucking wallet bitch; I'm not going to ask you again."

This was an entirely different playing field than what I was used to; I had no advantage here, just snappy comebacks and a flashlight. Irritation flared through me. "Have it your way." I turned off the flashlight and the entire parking lot was enveloped in darkness.

I dropped the flashlight and lunged. The blade caught a part of his shirt and he swore as he dropped the gun. His hand shot out to grab me by the throat. My opponent outweighed me in every way possible especially in muscle. I kicked out at his shins as his grip tightened around my throat to block my air flow. Instinct kicked in and I swung the downward with my blade the second we collided into my car.

He released me and I fell to the concrete, listening to him stumble back. I had connected solidly with his shoulder. I could feel the blood running down my blade and inhaled shaky breath as I shoved myself back to my feet. "Don't!" I wiped at my mouth. "Don't make me do this!" I warned.

"You fucking bitch! I'm gonna fucking kill you for that!"

In the darkness I heard him coming towards me again and I hissed as I felt his weight press the blade against me. We crumbled to the ground and I twisted to get on top, his grip on my neck and arm almost making it impossible. Putting pressure on his wound, I managed to wiggle free and when I slid back my hand bumped into the flashlight I had thrown down.

"Come here bitch!"

I cried out as I felt the sting of the knife as it cut down my arm and grabbing the flashlight I swung it in his direction. It hit his head with a dull thud and he let go of me. Blood flowed down my arm. I dropped the flashlight and began to crawl away, my hands colliding again with my knife. I was jerked back by his grip on my ankle and when I was twisted onto my back again, I thrust up the knife.

Blood came spilling out as the knife slid into his stomach but I continued to push, screaming as I forced it upwards into his ribcage. His body jerked, the blood pouring out between us and even in the darkness I knew the light was fading from his eyes. His breathing came out into pants, his grip on me loosening and suddenly it was over.

I shoved his body away and scrambled backwards until my back collided with my car. I found the flashlight again and clicked it on, the light illuminating the man's body. He was staring at me with unseeing eyes. My stomach rolled and clinched. He wasn't an innocent but at the same time he wasn't worthy of my code. I hated myself at that moment for what I had to do. I felt the urge to scream, to cry, and now I felt the urge to panic.

What was I going to do with the body? Can I do anything? My mind began to spin wildly out of control and I stared down at my bloody hands. Blood was pouring out of my wound, the knife having cut straight through the material of my jacket. I didn't want to look at it to see how bad it was but I knew if I didn't take care of it soon I was going to have a lot of explaining to do at the hospital. Where can I go? Nick will ask questions if he came home. If I go into a public place, people would notice as well.

My phone rang loudly in my jacket and I flinched. Shaking hands dug it from the inside pocket and I exhaled as I answered. "Wilkins."

"Angela? Angela, where are you?"

"Nick?" I wanted to cry into the phone at the sound of his voice. I ignored the pain shooting up my arm. "What's wrong?"

"I'm at the house and you're not here, where are you?!"

"I'm out; what's wrong?" I repeated.

He sighed. "You need to come home. Someone broke into our house."

"What?" I tried to push up from the ground but I couldn't, the pain increasing in my arm. "Is anything taken?"

"I can't tell; things have been trashed. Can you come back now?"

"Of... of course." I exhaled slowly. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Is Fuddles okay?"

"He's fine. I found him in the very back of our closet that's been ransacked as well but he's fine."

"Nicky?"

"Yes baby?"

"Can you wait until I get there to call the cops?" I closed my eyes as my body shook. "I want to see the house first."

"Okay. Hurry home."

"I will." I snapped the phone shut and hissed as I tried to move my arm. _How in the hell am I going to explain this_? The loss of blood was threatening to throw me into a state of shock and unconsciousness.

_I'm sure you'll think of something; you always have. Now get the fuck off the ground.  
_  
I struggled to my feet and stared down at the body. _And what do I do with this one?  
_  
_Clean up the area as best you can and then leave it. There's nothing you can do for him now._

I picked my blade and cleaned up the best I could. I was simply going to have to risk getting blood in the car. I had to get home to Nick; I could think of an excuse that he might accept for now. I'd take my chances when put opposite the idea that The Artist had invaded my personal space and could possibly be returning soon.

Body shaking, I shut the car door and slid the key into the engine. I rested my forehead against the steering wheel a few seconds before I straightened to readjust the mirror. It was my fault for being in this position, my own fault for being off guard and slow, and my heart leapt into my throat as a shadow shifted in the backseat of my car.

My hand flew to my knife but I was too late. A piece of cloth covered my mouth as an arm slipped around my neck to press against my throat. Struggling, I heard the car horn from where my hand slapped against it and then nothing, darkness finally taking me under in its sweet embrace.


	20. Episode 2x20

**A/N: **_I lied. There's only ONE MORE chapter after this one. Enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW! SPECIAL THANKS TO BE INCLUDED IN NEXT CHAPTER! :)_

** Chapter Twenty: Take a Bow**

A bright light was swinging from the ceiling above me. I blinked and rolled left, hissing as I put pressure on my wounded arm. My jacket was gone along with my boots and knife holster but what attracted my attention first was the bandage on my arm. Someone had taken time their time in stitching up my arm and wrapping it with gauze. Blinking some more, I laid there and took in my surroundings as I fought off the drowsy effects of the drug my attacker had used.

I was in a cage located in a dark room with one overhead light. I listened as someone shifted to my right and I pushed up to sit on my knees. I reached out for the rusty side of the metal cage and frowned at the cuffs on my wrists.

"Angela?"

My head snapped left. "Dara?"

"He killed him. He killed him Angela." She was sobbing, her voice growing shrill. "It's all my fault. It's my fault he's dead."

"Who's dead?"

"Warrick." Dara shifted again somewhere in the darkness. "Edward killed him!"

"Edward?" _I fucking knew it! Way to be slow Angela_. I grabbed the side of the cage that faced the direction of her voice and stood up. "Dara, where is Edward now?"

She hiccupped. "I don't know. He comes and goes. He's killing them. He's just killing them and it's my fault."

I listened to her cry and swaying on my feet, I closed my eyes and leaned against the metal of the cage. I sank slowly to the ground again as I started to think of Nick. I had no clue of how much time had passed, if it was day or night, or how I was going to make it out of this. Detective Edward Miller had successfully outwitted each of us. I had known that there was something off about him, I had my suspicions but I had failed to do anything with them due to my own personal issues and selfishness. Now look what had become of me.

Dara continued to sob and I dropped my hands into my lap. "You have to stop crying Dara." It was like she couldn't hear me; she was so lost in her despair. "Dara! Shut up!" I screamed. I closed my eyes as her sobs turned into whimpers, the light above my cage flickering.

"He said you killed someone."

I opened my eyes, head resting against the cage. "He's crazy Dara; he'll tell you anything." I fought the urge to close my eyes and sleep. "He wants to break you down until you'll believe anything, that's what gets him off."

"Warrick…"

"He might not be dead. You have to hold to hope that he's okay. Whatever this bastard says, you have to believe the opposite. Warrick isn't dead, I'm not some killer, and this isn't the end for us, okay?" I paused as silence met my question. "Dara!?"

"I can't do this." She cried. "I've lost everything. He's dead I just know it."

"If he's dead and you just give up, you'll never get justice. The people he's killed, they'll never get justice either and neither of us want that. You're not just going to give up Dara. That's not the Dara I know." I slumped down onto the floor and stared up at the light. "You have to be strong." I whispered my voice carrying. "Your daughter would want you to be strong."

"My daughter…" Dara whispered. "My daughter is dead Angela. I've lost everything I have ever cared about and now… now I'm going to die."

"We're not going to die."

"No, we're not. Just me." She cleared her throat. "He wants you for himself Angela. He thinks… he thinks you're destined to be together because you're both killers. He said you were a killer."

"I'm not a killer." The lie came out easy as it had the numerous times before. I had to play it cool. I had to make sure she believed me and not Edward and just maybe I could get us both out of here alive. If Dara believed him for even a second, my life was over be it found through death or prison.

She actually laughed but the sound was broken and full of hopelessness. "I'm going to die in this place and I don't care. I've lost my child, my family, I've lost Warrick…"

"Dara, you have to stop this. I'm not going to let you die and that's the end of it."

"Angela?"

I fought the urge to sleep that hit me like a wave and chuckled. "Fuck, whatever he gave us is some high quality shit."

Dara actually laughed as well. "Hey Angela?"

"Yeah?" I licked my lips and tried to focus on the light as it flickered.

"Is Henderson as good as he says he is?"

I smirked knowing exactly the separation of mind and body she was aiming for that very second. "He's not bad." I forced myself to sit up but it took everything I had as I maneuvered myself towards the cage wall again in an attempt to find the door. "Maybe when you get smart about Warrick, you'll find out." I listened to Dara sniffle. "I doubt it though; you two are joined at the hip and after this, you'll probably end up with your names tattooed on each other's asses."

"He's-"

"Annoying…" I chuckled. "But a genuinely intelligent, sweet guy who is hopelessly in love with you." I ran my hands across the metal slowly. "You two make me sick." My humor was a bit odd but I knew she needed the distraction. I couldn't see her, I didn't know what all Edward had done to her but I was clinging to the hope that he had left her untouched for now.

"You and Nick make me sick." Dara's words slurred. "He…loves you so much."

"I know. Henderson was…"

"A mistake." Dara spoke the words for me. "We've both made mistakes Angela." She sniffled again. "My mistakes just might have killed people."

"Say that one more time and I'm going to punch you in the uterus once we get out of here."

Dara let out a choked laugh. "You already slapped me once, wasn't that enough?"

"Please." I snorted, smiling as I found the lock. "You know you enjoyed it."

"It's truly heartwarming to see you two getting along so nicely."

I focused my attention towards the sounds of Edward's cold voice and blinked as all the lights in the room switched on. I barely looked at him as I tried to find Dara and my eyes widened at the sight of her strapped to a table. I wasn't prepared to see her with cuts all over her face and upper body, her shirt torn open. "Oh Dara."

"Beautiful isn't it?"

My attention snapped back to Edward as he came towards the cage. I didn't see his gun but I knew even with it not being his style it was probably around in case of emergencies. As he stopped inches from me wear a black tee shirt and jeans, my gaze shifted to the body of the man I had killed lying on a table behind him.

"It lacks sanity Eddie." I met his eyes with mine. "What happened? All the pressure finally get to you?"

He actually chuckled and grabbed onto the cage, his hands positioned on either side of mine. "You don't have to pretend anymore Angela; I know what you are."

I heard the dark voice cackle in the back of my mind, the beast roaring at the unspoken challenge.  
"You don't know a damn thing about me Eddie but open up this cage and I'll let you find out a thing or two."

Edward shook the cage. "Be nice Angela and I'll let you out to play." He drew a set of keys from his back pocket. "But first, I want you to tell Dara about our friend over there." He motioned to the man draped on the table.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I watched his face contort into rage. "Tell the truth Angela if you want me to let you out. Tell the truth and I've got a beautiful present for you."

It was on the tip of my tongue to deny his accusations again but I knew that he was gone, too high on control and lost in the moment to see past his firm beliefs. I could see it on his face. "He tried to kill me." I admitted softly. "I did what I had to in order to survive."

"What about the others? Where there others?"

I was all too aware of Dara's eyes on me. I couldn't bear to look at her. An idea began to form in my mind and growing desperate I went with it. "He's not the first I've killed."

"Finally some honesty." Edward singled one particular key. "Now, you're going to come out nice and easy."

He unlocked the cage and opened the door, taking several steps back and with effort I managed to climb out. I looked down and realized that blood was seeping through the white bandages Edward had placed on my arm and seeing it as well, he reached out to pull me towards the table. I found that I couldn't look away from Dara as we grew closer. No hope lingered in her eyes, nothing there but a flat, dead expression that told me she had truly given up. I didn't move as Edward worked to redo my bandages and when he was finished, he reached for the knife that he'd set down next to Dara.

"Dara and I were having so much fun earlier but we were interrupted." He took the tip of the blade and traced it over Dara's lips. "I went to get you Angela and imagine my surprise when I realized that you are the same as I am. You're an avenging angel making what is wrong in this world right again."

Dara didn't make a sound as he trailed the blade along her throat only allowing it to pierce her skin when he'd reached her chest. Fresh blood mingled with dried and I found I couldn't take my eyes away from the sight of it.

"Would you like a turn Angel?"

"This seems to be your show Eddie, I'm merely a spectator." I continued to formulate my plan as I talked slowly and calmly. "What are you going to do to her?"

"Oh Angel, so modest. I'm certain that I'm merely an amateur compared to you. It is not what I am going to do to her. It is what we are going to do to her." He continued to cut Dara as he spoke in a conversational tone. "She's the only one who knows what we've done and who we are. With her gone…" He smiled. "With her gone we can make a life with each other."

"What about Nick?" I tried to block out Dara's whimpering as my voice went cold. I had to make him believe I wanted what he wanted or neither of us was going to make it out of this room alive.

"Well there are many options. He could be so despondent over your leaving him that he takes his own life. You care for him. I can see how you would be hesitant to hurt him so we can make an exception. Crush some pills into his favorite drink and he'll just fall into a blissful sleep. Between losing you and his best friend…" Edward let his voice trail off suggestively.

I met his eyes and saw nothing there, no soul showing at all. "So you really killed Warrick?"

"Does it upset you that your lover is dead?"

I blinked at the phrasing of the question and ignored looking at Dara. I didn't want to see the hurt there. "He'd have to have mattered in order for it to upset me."

She began to sob again and Edward let out a growl like sound before striking her again in the face. Blood bloomed from her nose and lip. "You make me sick with all of your whimpering and crying." The hand with the knife made deeper cuts across her chest and down her stomach. Blood spilled freely from the wounds.

I stood motionless and watched him as Dara's eyes closed. She was quickly losing her will to live, the fight gone from her and finally she was what Edward had wanted, completely broken. Even as he continued to cut her, moving to her arms and even slashing her face, I applauded her when she gave him no reaction. It was typical that while he'd stated that her whimpering and crying made him sick it seemed that her lack of reaction made him angry.

He shifted the blade back to her stomach and I felt her stomach flip and churn as he slid the knife under her skin and began to remove a piece as if filleting a fish. Closing my eyes, I listened as Dara did the only thing that she could do, she screamed.

"Edward."

He turned his attention to me with a smile on his face seemingly pleased at the soft way I spoke his name. "Yes Angel?" The use of Greg's nickname for me had a nauseating effect and I made a mental note to inform him to find another one when they made it out of here. We were making it out of here, I was going to make sure of that.

"If you want me to help you, you're going to need to take these off." I held up my cuffed hands. "I can't be expected to do quality work if I'm hindered by this type of restraint."

Dara went silent again, her eyes closed and her lips moved with no sound. I knew there was no way she could take any more pain. She truly believed she wasn't strong enough.

"I need you to do something for me first Angel. I need you to tell me what you are. I want to hear you say it."

I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say. With Dara listening I struggled with finding the right words. Anything I said could and would be used against me in a court of law and I had no intention of going to jail. I watched as her eyes opened and focused on me, acceptance showing there that she was going to die. I couldn't have been shocked more when she opened her mouth to speak.

I shifted my attention to Edward, desperate to keep his attention and his knife off of Dara. "I'm a killer Edward, I've lost count of how many as I'm sure you have but I remember their faces, their pathetic attempts to beg for my mercy. I'm just like you."

Edward took a step closer to me and it took everything I had not to recoil as he reached out to stroke a blood soaked finger down the side of my face. He let his finger trail over my lips and I tasted the slightly metallic liquid. Slowly and with my stomach turning I stretched my body so that my bloody lips could brush against his. He let out a moan of approval and he deepened the kiss, the blood mingling between us.

After I was sure he was satisfied, I broke the kiss. "Take them off please."

"Of course Angel." He set the knife down next to Dara. "When we're done here I've got so much to show you."

"I'm sure that you do." I watched as he reached for the keys and slowly undid the handcuffs. He let the metal fall to the floor and pulled me against him again for another searing kiss. His attention was momentarily focused on me so I reached out and squeezed her friends shoulder tightly. I listened as Dara whimpered and was instantly so sorry that I had caused her pain with a touch meant to reassure her.

Edward stroked his hand down my back, his face nuzzling mine as he returned his attention to Dara on the table. "Dara's biggest flaw, her biggest sin is that her heart is too big. She cares too much Angela and it's up to us to help release her from that."

"I see." I turned to face Dara and saw that her eyes were shut once more. "She's so beautiful." I reached out to stroke her fingers along her face and when I did her eyes opened, pure fear there. "I can't fault you for wanting her Edward." I met her eyes and tried to let her know that it was going to be okay but the message didn't seem to get through.

He rested his hand on my back. "She is beautiful, even more so now."

"There's so much blood, I can't see her face. I want to see her face."

"I'll get some water."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that his back was turned. I met Dara's eyes again and mouthed the words, trust me. Her eyes widened with confusion and tears began to fall again. Desperation clutched my throat and when Edward returned with the water I gently used the gauze he'd provided to clean the worst of the blood off. As I cleaned her skin, I nearly sighed in relief; the cuts would be easily taken care of by a plastic surgeon and scarring would be minimal.

My eyes glanced over at the knife beside us and Edward seemed more pleased than concerned when I picked it up. "This is a lovely knife Edward."

"I've had it for years. I'm quite fond of it however if you like it Angel, it's yours."

"Oh Edward." I smiled as if I was truly flattered. "Isn't he sweet Dara?" I leaned in close to her and saw a flicker of understanding finally dawn in her eyes.

"You two are fucking perfect for each other."

"You have no idea." Smiling, I brushed my fingers against her cheek. "Let me show you how perfect."

Dara acted repulsed by the touch, twisting her head away. "Go to Hell you freak."

I kept the smile on my face as I straightened and listened to the sound of Edward's rich laughter. "She certainly is amusing." I ran my fingers down the blade. "I can see why you made her so special."

"That wasn't my intention. Had I known you existed…"

"I've been alone for a very long time and I have to admit I was growing tired of it."

He nodded. "It would explain Nick. I'll admit that I almost fell for it as well. Dara almost made me forget what I was, what we are. The rest of the world, they'll never understand, but together?" He reached out to trail his hand down my arm. "Together we can be unstoppable. I understand who you are Angel; I know what it's like to live with the pulsing thirst for blood inside of you."

I stared down at the blade. "Someone else said that to me once. She believed she was the only person in the world who knew who I truly was. It's a shame I had to kill her. I might have grown to like Clarissa." I kept my gaze locked on the blade and not Dara as I spoke. "I doubt it but there's always that small chance."

"I knew I was right about that case." Edward grinned in satisfaction. "Forget her Angel; she was an amateur compared to your greatness. I know there is a lot you can show me and vice versa. We can rule Vegas together before moving on to bigger and better things. All we have to do is take care of a few loose ends…"

"That sounds absolutely wonderful." I purred smiling as I leaned into him to bring our mouths inches apart. "But you see there's only one small problem with that." I slammed the knife into his side and watched his eyes widen. "I kind of like those loose ends."

"You fucking bitch!"

His hand crashed into the side of my face and I fell. Edward yanked the blade out of his stomach, the blood spreading throughout the fabric of his tee shirt, and tossed it onto the ground. He came at me and I cried out as he grabbed my hair in order to pull me to my feet.

"How dare you!" He snarled. "I offer you a chance to be at my side and this is how you repay me?" He shoved me and I collided with the cage. "I am offering you greatness!"

His foot connected with my stomach and I doubled over in pain. I couldn't fight him off as he grabbed my injured arm and squeezed, the blood flowing freely now through the soaked gauze.

"We are meant to be together! Dara lead me here to you!"

"You heard the woman Eddie; go to Hell you freak."

Edward sneered at me and raised his hand, the next hit sending me back into the floor. "You ungrateful bitch." He spit at me. "I'll show you the error behind your words and this time I won't hesitate to take your fucking tongue!"

I watched him as he scooped up the knife from the floor. I forced myself to my feet. The table on which the stranger laid dead had other objects on it and I prayed for there to be a weapon of some kind. All I had to do was get past Edward but unfortunately that was easier said than done. My move left was blocked as he jerked me back and I hissed in pain as the blade in his hand cut cleanly against my other arm.

"I'm going to have some fun with you Angela. Maybe before it's too late you'll change your mind and see what I have seen, your destiny at my side."

I stared down at the blood flowing down both of my arms before raising my gaze back to his. "I'm sorry Edward." I watched uncertainty flicker across his face. "Your mother must have never told you that she loved you."

Anger contorted his handsome face and he lunged at me with a scream. I ducked his arm, rolling to come up beside the other table but there was nothing there and I turned just as the knife slammed down. The force of the blow had the knife wedged into the table and seeing a moment of opportunity appear I tackled him onto the ground.

We fell together with me on top but compared to his injury, mine were greater and he quickly gained the upper hand. A well connected punch sent me flying and I hit the table before slumping onto the concrete, flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me. My gaze was fuzzy, my head pounding, and I blinked as Edward loomed above me.

"Such talent wasted on stupid trivial things." He spat. He lowered his foot onto my injured arm and I screamed. "We could do so many great things together if only you would be who you truly are Angela. These people have tamed that beast inside of you with their sins until a weak shell is all that is left. You're pathetic."

"Leave her alone!"

Dara's voice had him turning away and he chuckled at her futile attempts to get out of the restraints holding her to the table. "Settle down lover, your turn will come soon enough."

_Distraction how I love thee._ I stood and pulled the knife free from the table, my body having loosened the table's hold when I had collided with it. Edward's back was to me. I tightened my grip on the handle just as Dara's right wrist suddenly slipped free. It was almost as if he had forgotten me at that moment, the small chance of her escaping his only concern and his downfall.

The very second he took a step towards her I reacted. I threw myself at him from behind, my arm wrapping around his neck as my right hand slammed the knife deep into the bottom of his spine. "I think you underestimated my affection for stupid trivial things Eddie." I twisted the knife and jerked it until I knew I had severed muscles. "Mistakes like that cost you."

Blood spewed from his mouth as he began to choke and I let go of the handle. Inside the beat roared its satisfaction, that dark laughter cackling in delight. He started to turn to face me but in one quick move, I grabbed his face to snap his neck and he crumpled dead at my feet. Blood began to coat the ground, some of it coloring my toes but I merely stood there watching it completely mesmerized.

Above me suddenly there was a thump of feet and the slamming of doors. I shook myself out of my daze to approach Dara. Together we broke the restraints and I wrapped my arms around her as she slumped off the table. With her injuries and mine the weight was too much and we fell into the floor, me doing my best to cradle her as she began to cry tears of relief. There was a line of tension in her body at me touching her and I knew that any second the room would be filled with people ready to take me away at her word. She held my future in her hands and the mere thought of my selfishness after all she had been through made me flinch.

_You have to look after number one; that's the first rule._

I wanted to say fuck the rules but I wasn't going to jail. I would die before I would allow myself to be captured and treated like a common criminal. As gently as I could I extracted myself from her and stood to my feet. I ignored the blood on the floor and on my clothing as I spotted Edward's jacket near the door of the room. As I expected his gun rested comfortably in the inner pocket and I was aware of Dara's eyes on me as I withdrew it.

She began to shake as I approached, fear written all over her face that this was the end for her, and I almost laughed at the shock that appeared as I thrust the handle of the gun towards her. "Take it." I shook the gun as she made no move. "I said fucking take it!" I yelled. Hand shaking, Dara took the weapon and I stepped away from her. "Shoot me."

"I…"

"I want you to shoot me Dara." I kept my voice low and calm. "You know what I am, the things I've done and no matter what I want, I can't change any of that. All I know is that I'm not going to jail so you best shoot me now and get it over with before they burst through that door."

The gun wavered in her hand. "I can't."

"Dara, do it. Shoot me!"

"I can't!" She tossed the gun down shoulders shaking. "I can't!"

Slowly I sank to my knees and watched her cry. The door to the room slammed open to hit wall and suddenly the room was full of police officers.

"Dara!" I watched her head shoot up at the sound of Warrick's voice. "Dara!"

It was like seeing life return to a dead creature, a glow light up in her eyes and even with the cuts and blood it was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. I watched as Warrick almost fell down scrambling into the room and suddenly he was holding her, the two of them crying.

"Angela? Angela! Where are you?"

I lost all knowledge of them the second I heard Nick yelling my name. I rose to my feet just as he appeared in the doorway. His eyes took in the room then me, growing large and the fear was immediately replaced by concern. He pushed past two officers to gather me into his arms. More and more people I knew began to come into the room; Greg, Grissom, even Hodges appearing, but all I knew was that Nick was whispering how much he loved me, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

Burying my face into his neck, I took the small chance to look over at Dara and Warrick again. Her eyes caught mine but she merely focused her attention back on Warrick instead of pointing a finger and screaming at me like I expected. I wasn't about to argue with what seemed like a free pass for now and with a sigh, I leaned into Nick and closed my eyes. There would come a time when Dara and I would have to talk and a decision would have to be made. She knew my secret and if I couldn't trust her to keep it…

"Oh my God, baby. I love you, oh my God, you're alright."

I clung to Nick and focused on the words. A medical team entered the room but I barely noticed the commotion. I had survived and once again it was the possibilities behind having his love in my life that had saved me. There would come a time when I would worry later about what ifs and maybes but for now I was willing to make it the last thing on my mind.

Looking at Edward lying dead by my hands a few feet away from us, I tightened my arms around Nick even as the medics began to swarm us. If I let go of him there was no telling what would become of me. I had killed again but this time I had enjoyed it, the realization of that making everything in me freeze.

For a split second, the beast had become a large part of me again and it pained me to realize how much I had missed it. The darkness, the edge, I needed it but at the same time I needed the light and hope that Nick brought to my life. I knew now that I had gone about this whole thing the wrong way. I didn't need to completely lock away one part to be happy; I merely had to find a balance.


	21. Episode 2x21: Season Finale

**A/N: **_Well this is it my dear readers, the last chapter of this part of the trilogy. Again, it was great sharing this with you and I'm glad to see all of you have enjoyed it. I will be taking a step back from this in order to finish my LOST/BUFFY fic that I'm posting here. I only have a few chapters left on Tabula Rasa so once that's finished I will post the third and last part of Angela's story. THE TITLE WILL BE : A KILLER'S ELEGY so be on the lookout for it or just add me to your alert lists! _

_Please REVIEW. Thank you!_

**Chapter Twenty-One: Only Time Will Tell**

The notion that Internal Affairs wanted a piece of The Artist action was expected. In retaliation, the entire department backed the two of us completely. While an in-depth investigation couldn't be stopped, there would be no questioning of either us unless of our own cooperation and no charges were being filed.

To make things even more ridiculous I was being looked at as some kind of hero for having saved Dara, and she was being rewarded for her bravery and work as an officer with promotions, plaques, and grand speeches, the works. Of course neither of us wanted any of the attention. I simply wanted to move on with my life and put the memory of Edward far behind me. It would be easier for me of course; the road ahead for Dara was an extremely long and hazardous one.

A week passed and she was still in the hospital recovering. The first few days I would walk past her flower filled room to find Warrick there, the CSI not having left her side one minute since the crime scene. Henderson dropped by as well from time to time; it was nice to see both of them taking turns in caring of her.

It was very rare that Nick let me even turn on the television on my own but I enjoyed the comfort of knowing he would be by the bed each time I opened my eyes. My injuries required stitches, the cuts on my arms turning into permanent reminders on my skin.

They released me after two days with a clean bill of health but even then I didn't venture into Dara's room. I wasn't fully sure I could trust her. She had refused to shoot me but that didn't mean that once she recovered that she wouldn't point out the obvious to everyone around me. I was a killer. I enjoyed taking the lives of those that deserved to be punished but that still didn't make what I did right in the eyes of the law. Each day that began to pass made the wait for the bomb to drop amplify in the back of my mind.

"Baby?" I looked away from the doors of the hospital to gaze at Nick in the driver's seat. He smiled softly and reached out to stroke his hand down my hair. "You okay?"

With a nod, I reached out for the door handle. "Do you want me to wait until you park the car?"

"Go on. I'll be up in a minute."

I took my time in making my way to Dara's room. Her door was open and I peered into the glass window to see her on her side facing the wall, no one else in the room with her.

"You can go inside."

I turned to see Warrick standing behind me with a cup of coffee in his hand. We both shifted slightly on our feet and I managed a small smile. "I know."

"How are you holding up?"

"Never been better."

He snorted and surprised me by stepping forward to loop his arm gently around my shoulder. He pulled me towards him and I didn't know what to do as he hugged me. Awkwardly we pulled apart.

"It's been difficult this past week for all of us." Warrick scratched at the back of his neck. "Dara's been having nightmares, screams and sweats; she won't talk to us about it but maybe she'll talk to you?"

I doubted that. I had seen the look of fear in her eyes after I had killed Edward. I cleared my throat. "He told her about us."

Warrick blinked in surprise and by his reaction I knew she hadn't told him. It made me wonder exactly what else she was keeping from him.

"I don't know if she believed it or not. I just thought you should know."

"I don't really know what to say."

"It's probably best you don't say anything at all." I smiled softly. "What's done is done." I looked away to gaze inside her room again.

"Hey…" Warrick reached out to cup my shoulder and draw my attention back to him. "No matter what, I'm here for you. We're all here for you. Okay?"

I forced myself to push his hand away gently and I squeezed it before I took a step back. The elevator door chimed and I saw Nick escape from the coroner of my eye. I didn't say anything as I turned and entered Dara's room, shutting the door behind me. For what seemed like an eternity we simply stared at each other.

"I thought that you weren't going to come."

_Let's get this over with before I lose my mind. _"I need to know what you're going to do Dara."

She deliberately ignored the question and motioned for me to sit down on the chair that practically had Warrick's ass print embedded in it. "Sit down." I slowly did as she ordered. "I've got something for you." I watched her wince and reach under her pillow. She held out a box.

"What is that?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's a gift. Open it."

Still hesitant I accepted the black box and opened it to stare down at the black cord and charm nestled in the box.

"I know it's not your normal style but I want you to have it. My daughter Madison's father gave that to me when we first started dating, he'd had it since he was a boy and that's when I knew he was in love with me. I wore it every day for years until the cord broke. I thought I had misplaced it and Katrina came along so I gave it no more thought until someone sent it to me."

I looked up from the box. "Edward."

She nodded. "I always felt like it brought me luck. When Madison was little she'd spend hours playing with it." Tears swarmed in her eyes. "It doesn't remind of Edward, it reminds me of Trevor, and it reminds me of my daughter. It reminds me to have hope and I want you to have it."

_What? Oh no, no thank you. _"I can't…"

"You can and you will. It's nothing compared to what you did for me, what you did for us."

"Dara…"

"Despite what you think of yourself Angela, you're not like him." Dara lowered her voice and I had to lean forward to hear her. "You could have let him kill me before you killed him and no one would know your secret, no one would know what you've done."

"Dara…"

"You could have let me die but you didn't and that tells me something." Dara hissed as she shifted again on the bed and I couldn't stop myself from springing forward.

"Your pain killer drip isn't hooked up." Frowning, I moved to connect the tubes. "What kind of inept nurse do you have?"

"Don't. That's just for show." She exhaled. "I don't know how to make you believe that your secret is safe with me Angela, I really don't. The only thing that I can think of is to share something with you."

_Well, we're just full of surprises. _I cocked an eyebrow at her. "If you tell me that you're a killer too I'm not going to believe you."

"Fuck, I wish it was that simple." Dara let out a weak chuckle. "I'm five weeks pregnant almost to the day."

"Why is that a secret?"

"Almost five weeks ago to the day was the night you and Warrick nearly got killed at Gedda's place, and it's also the same day that I slept with Edward for the first time." She let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "No one knows and I don't plan on telling anyone until I figure out what I'm going to do."

_In the words of the ever-expressive Keanu Reeves, whoa. _"So you pretend to take pain killers so Warrick doesn't worry?"

"Yes. He worries a lot and he's on the verge of falling apart trying to take care of me." Dara motioned for the glass of water next to the bed. "Will you help me take a drink?"

_Is this a trick? Come close and let me slap the cuffs on ya! Surprise!_

She chuckled as if reading my mind. "Please? I'm not going to bite you."

I moved forward to lift the glass and guided the straw to her mouth. "Don't drink too much at once."

"Thanks." She swallowed. "I really want a cheeseburger but they won't let me eat solid food yet."

"He did a number on you. I… I wish that I could have stopped him before he hurt you." After a quick internal debate, I squeezed Dara's hand briefly. "Warrick says that you've been having nightmares and that you won't talk to anyone. He thinks you'll talk to me."

"I don't want him to know what happened in there. I don't want anyone to know and I don't want you to tell them."

"Dara…"

"Damn it Angela, he doesn't need that image in his head. Would you want Nick to know if it was you?"

"No. I won't tell anyone Dara." I bit down on my lower lip. "Will you tell me?"

She went stiff. "No."

"You need to talk about it."

"No, I don't." Her eyes suddenly had fire in them. "Let's not argue Angela. I don't want to argue with you. I…" She cleared her throat. "Let's just leave what happened in the room, in that room. Can we do that?"

I sighed in frustration because I knew that was the worst possible things for Dara to do. If she didn't face what Edward did to her and make peace with it she would never be able to fully recover. _Damn it, you're going to make me share with you and I hate that. _

"When Andy died I didn't talk to anyone for days." I focused my attention on the necklace and the box. "I was so numb from the pain and the sadness that I walked around like a zombie. It was the worst thing that had ever happened to me and even now it's hard for me to talk about it. My parents, my step-sister; they all tried to get me to open up to them and I wouldn't. I kept all that inside of me even when we buried him, even when the police arrested Dylan. I never shed a tear. I never said I missed him at all. I let all that fester inside of me. I still do."

"I'm sure your brother loved you very much."

"That's the thing Dara; everything I've done has been because of what happened to my brother, because I couldn't stand to think of anyone hurting the way that I did. It was my job to protect him because I was his big sister but the thing is I'm not."

"You're not what?"

"I'm not his sister. I'm not their daughter. They adopted me. Edward made sure I knew. He sent me my original birth certificate."

"Andy was your brother Angela, and you were his big sister. Let me tell you what I know. Blood doesn't mean shit. My partner back in New Orleans, Charlie; Charlie was my brother as much as any other child my mother could have given birth. Your family, they are your family. They chose you Angie. You have to remember they chose you."

I didn't have the chance to respond before the door opened and Nick and Warrick walked in. Nick immediately moved behind me and noticed the necklace in my hand. "What's this?"

I fidgeted at the attention. "Dara gave it to me. It's something that her daughter's father gave her, something that she's had for years and she wants me to have it."

"Well you should put it on." He reached down and plucked the necklace out of my hand before I could object, fastening it quickly around my neck. "It looks beautiful."

"You can't even see it dork." Chuckling, I tilted my head back and smiled at him. He smiled back, hands squeezing my shoulders, and when I focused on Dara again, I watched as she fought hard to keep her eyes open. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The words held their double-meaning that only the two of us understood. I felt more relief now then I had in the previous days but the voice of doubt still lurked in the background of my mind. I knew the voice would be there for a while, until I felt I could really trust not just her but myself.

Only time will tell.


End file.
